A Stitch In Time
by highbrass
Summary: Strange events occure leaving Harry unsure of what is real and what is not. He remembers a future he has been told to change. Post POA.
1. Chapter 1

AN: This has been running though my head for ever now and I thought I would put the perverbial pen to paper. It was suppost to only be a short fic that has taken a life of it's own. I was able to think of so many ideas for this that it just continued to grow and grow. Now the series should go all the way though seventh year and maybe a bit longer. Since I enjoyed writing it so much I thought I would let you read it. It's not the best out there and the updates will be erratic. The plot may get boring and choppy but I think it might just entertain a few of you out there. Thanks. Highbrass

Chapter 1 - The Vision

The bright green of instant death rushed toward him as the world around seemed to slow to a crawl. There was no avoiding or blocking this time. There was just no where to go without his wand and the little bit of magic he still left at his command. In that instant he knew he was to die this day, this hour, in this place. And with those thoughts time stilled.

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The ride from Kings Cross had been a tense one after Dumbledore's funeral. Many of the compartments were empty. Almost no Slytherins were aboard the train. Those that remained either cried or sat in silent contemplation. All but three who had commandeered the Head carriage for themselves. Ron, Hermione and Harry sat alone with every privacy spell they knew blocking their conversation from prying ears.

As they arrived little was said in ways of greetings. The three split up going toward their respective guardians. Harry slipped quietly away until he had found Remus. After a quick discussion they left with no one, but two friends, being the wiser.

Getting out of school nearly two weeks earlier than he was suppose to wouldn't sit well with the Dursley's. Luckily Remus and Harry spent that time at Grimmauld Place. Dobby and Kreacher were asked to clean the place to livable conditions once again. It was clear that no one had entered the house since Sirius had died. The wards, even without the Fidelius, were enough to keep out even Narcissa and Bellatrix as magically speaking neither were a Black any longer. Harry smirked at the short sidedness of old pure blood families and their insistence on magical marriage contacts.

Those two weeks alone with the old were-wolf helped Harry more than he thought possible. The two studied magic together constantly not even worrying about the Ministry. At some point Sirius had confided in his long time friend that, being the dark family they where, the Blacks had erected wards to disable any identification of magic use. After all, it wouldn't have been good to have the Aurors knocking on their door while they were studying strong ancient magics.

One night the two sat in the study trading stories and toasting to the memory of their friend and those that they knew where to follow before the war concluded. After the two had finished off nearly three bottles of Rosmerta's mead and a full bottle of fire whiskey, Harry told Remus everything. It was like a dam burst and every part of his childhood to the present was laid bare to Remus. Remus in turn confided in Harry what happened after that fateful Halloween night so long ago. He left nothing out and Harry would have cursed the old headmaster within an inch of his life had he still been alive as a result of the conversation. The two drunk individuals passed out some time in the morning after they started drinking and didn't wake until the morning next began.

After that day though Remus took a special interest in supporting one of his best friend's son's. He helped studying new magic and was someone to bounce theories off of. It was lucky Remus was the one Harry spilled all his secrets to. One of the 'perks' of his curse gave him a distinctly feral mind rendering legilimancy impossible.

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Harry watched the clock on the side of his bed. He was to leave for the final time in mere moments. Three hours before he turned Seventeen.

He would find out a day later that Number Four no longer existed. Riddle had taken his wrath out on his 'family' ten minutes before the stroke of midnight, while the wards were still active.

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Bill's wedding went without a hitch. He and Fleur had left hours earlier on their honey-moon. The twins had already flooed back to their apartment above their shop. Charlie left with a couple of old school friends hours earlier to 'catch up on old times'. It didn't help the teasing that the 'friend' was a knockout from his old school days. Percy had shown, only to leave minutes after the wedding ended. And now Harry, Hermione and Ron snuck out the door after placing sleeping charms on the other three occupants of the house, ensuing a safe get away.

They had nearly made it to the end of the long dirt drive and the end of the wards when a blast of green lit up the sky. A green skull with a vivid orange snake slithering out of it's mouth illuminated the Burrow. Leaving forgotten, the three had barely taken a few steps each before the house exploded. The shock wave lifted the three off the ground and blew them back into the densely covered wood. Before Harry gave up on consciousness he thought he heard a shrill scream of frustration that could only come from one being. Voldemort had just missed him again.

Harry was jerked from his dreamless sleep by the worried whisper of Hermione casting healing charms as fast as she could. It was still dark out and by the position of the moon he had been out for only an hour or so. Looking back toward the Burrow he already knew it was too late for whoever was left. The only thing that was keeping it up was the magic that always seemed to keep it from collapsing. After they got Ron awake the inconsolable teen rushed into the house only to find the charred remains of his parents and sister.

Harry bent over the remains of the one person he had loved in all his long years. tears streamed down his soot covered face. They left eventually only stopping by the Granger's house to beg them to leave the country post haste.

They did, and when they came back from their vacation three weeks later nothing was left of the house they had spent years making a home but a burned out shell.

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For months the papers went on about the where-abouts of Harry Potter and his friends. Neville had been killed only days before a new term at Hogwarts started. He had managed to kill Rabastian and his Gran had hit Rudophus with a curse that blew apart his nether regions. The deatheater died in pain from blood loss. Before he died though, Neville landed two curses to the evil hag that was Bellatrix. A jet of acid melted half her body nearly off and a cutting curse to her neck left her with no voice. She lived however, but now her outside appearance was much more in line with her inside. After that she would forever be remembered as the 'Monster'.

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Remus, Harry, Hermione and Ron never left the house but for two hours and those were disguised as different muggles they encountered thanks to polyjuice. They ran each morning and then lifted weights. After that they studied branches of magic. All branches of magic.

Dumbledore had left nearly everything in his office to Harry after his death. After the will had been read he received a trunk with five compartments. Within the trunk were all the books from his private library, his pensive, protective clothing and notes. Not just any notes though, they were notes about everything the old man had worked on all his life. The first they all looked at was the information the old man had gathered about horcruxes. Through whatever channels he had, Dumbledore managed to get the process of horcrux creation and was therefore able to reverse engineer the process to figure out how to destroy them. It seemed the final glitch had been worked out only after the aged professor had lost the use of one of his hands. The rest of the notes were of spells the old man had either produced himself or rare arts that had been lost through time. But perhaps the most interesting was all the work Dumbledore had done with Flammel was listed there. All the notes on alchemy.

The group seemed to split on what they studied. Hermione dove into alchemy and potions. The two fields of magic differed from each other greatly unlike one would think though. Potion brewing had very stringent rule that must be followed or the cauldron was no more than an large grenade. Ron delved into curses, mostly on the darker side of magic from the Black library. He seemed to have lost all his prior prejudices after watching three of his family members blown apart along with his home. Remus too seemed to abandon the 'take prisoners' notion in regards to his studying of magical spells used in combination with weaponry but also tampered with runes and rituals. Harry though learned a little bit of everything. Most of his time though was taken learning the new spells he would need to defend himself.

No one knew the exact reason but the 'Chosen One' absorbed information like a dry sponge. He would go though book after book and then be able to recite the information back when he finished. Any average grade spells only took minutes to learn. Advanced only hours. The mage level spells from Dumbledore's collection took weeks to learn each. And the Horcrux notes and spells even longer. Soul magic was thought to be one of the most difficult magic ever created, still Harry plowed on and mastered the spells quicker than any one in history. As a break in his work he studied other arts. He learned how to brew some of the more necessary potions the group would need but was nowhere near as good as Hermione was. He helped Remus with some of the rituals he has learned about and with that a few runic patterns. He even preformed a few on himself to give him a little edge. The only problem was the length of time one had to study a ritual to ensure it was perfect. That time was not something Harry had in abundance

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By Christmas Harry finally broke down from the stress and grief. For a week he had been inconsolable. It was only the support from his best friends and his 'Were-dad', as they all had started calling Remus, that he was able to pull though.

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Harry decided that Occlumency was perhaps the best magic ever invented as he lay in wait that cold March night. It had been a few long hard months but he had managed to finally get a basic understanding of the skill after everyone else. After that he quickly formed his base shields then started sorting his mind. It was only magic that allowed any of this to happen. Now that he had done it things were much easier to remember though. Over the months he had personalized his mind. Hidden memories, changed the landscape of his mind and introduced traps. If someone did break his shields he couldn't wait to see what happened next.

After learning the skill Harry was able to control his scar link. Voldemort, being his arrogant self and misinformed by Snape of his true abilities, hadn't bothered to reinforce his occlumency walls, only basic shields, since they had dueled in the Ministry after fifth year and with relative ease Harry was able to use his 'back door' to spy on the reptile.

Tonight there were to be five different raids taking place. All were pure bloods that refused to join the dark side and were therefore considered blood-traitors and the enemy. It just so happened it would leave five Hogwarts' students orphans. Having no other options the five people living in the house split up. (Tonks had taken up residence with 'her' wolf after her parents were targeted by deatheaters. They survived, beating back the four intruders, even killing two of them.) Each had been practicing months for this.

The brief swirl of color indicated the deatheaters had portkeyed in. Harry lifted a small mirror and tracked the progress, happy when two separated from the group to circle around the house in opposite directions. He lay still, blending in with the fallen leaves under disillusionment. As the single man walked by, not even having drawn his wand yet, Harry wrapped his arms around the man, one hand holding the chloroformed cloth to the mouth. Sometimes it was better to use muggle means. Less action and no light from spells. A quick slit across the unconsious man's neck and he was ready to move on.

The other was taken out much the same way only with a stun gun. He didn't envy the black robed figure as a couple thousand volts of electricity coursed though his veins. Inside Harry could already hear the laughing of the other two. Racing across the lawn he quietly maneuvered himself behind the two deatheaters as they held the two house occupants under a 'legal' pain curse. He gripped his wand with his right hand and his left drew a long, blood stained, dagger from the folds of the mid-night black robe. Then like lightning both deatheaters crumpled to the ground, one unconscious the other a long silver blade sticking out from between her breasts.

That night lead to the gathering of much information. Veterisum would get any answer from even the most hardened enemy. Voldemort never knew what became of his twenty followers and the Malfoy line lost it's youngest member in a most horrible way thanks to Ron.

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By November the war had nearly halted once again. Voldemort was in a fit after loosing nearly half his fighting force. After the first loss he never sent out his more experienced followers.

In a twist of dark irony Neville and Harry received their revenge on Bellatrix. The Dark Lord had to put his most faithful to death before she killed any more of his followers. Though gifted in silent magic, Bellatrix would fly off the handle if any one mentioned anything relating to speech in her presence. She had lost the few shreds of sanity she had left after her battle with Neville. After killing five other deatheaters Voldemort had enough.

Harry watched as the woman was held under the cruciatus until she was little more than a pile of drooling flesh and bone after she killed Greyback with a molten quicksilver whip. The killing of his most savage and advanced were-wolf had hurt recruitment and training significantly. Afterward he simply killed the insane witch before storing her to be used as an inferi.

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In March Harry and Hermione had a breakthrough with their alchemy experiments. Living Metal they called it. It was able to form new limbs or simply cover existing ones. It was incredibly spell resistant and able to adhere to the owners will. In the testing a thin sheet of it was able to withstand a killing curse with only minimal damage. It had come too late for some though.

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By July they had recovered all the horcruxes but Nagini. Slytherin's locket had been the hardest to round up surprisingly. After figuring out that RAB had been Sirius' brother Regulus they remembered the locked they had found in the house as they were cleaning so many years ago. Both Dobby and Kreacher searched the house but the locket was gone.

Harry hunted down Mundungus Fletcher and removed every piece of information the old spy had locked in his head. Livid at what the damn man had done not only to the locket and other effects of his home but how the man sold information regarding families to deatheaters as well.

Harry left the man with no hands, no feet and a permanent password protected sticking charm to his lips. No longer able to run, steal or talk Harry left him on the blood soaked street of Knockturn alley. No one was ever able to open his mouth.

The other horcruxes had been fairly easy to find. With Voldemort's increased paranoia he had ordered the items rounded up and placed in new locations. It had happened to be a night Harry was watching. Though he wasn't able to find out the exact place they had been he knew exactly where they were going to be.

Due to the nature of the horcrux spell the items couldn't be close together or they would try to abandon their vessel and reconnect with each other. So instead of leaving them in a place they had been save for years they were moved to less secure but more easily watched properties.

Hufflepuff's cup and Ravenclaw's hair piece never made it to the new safe locations.

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New years was celebrated at the funeral of Remus, Tonks, Hermione and Dobby. Voldemort himself destroyed the blood wards protecting Number 12. The three put up such a good fight that little fun was had with them. The living metal worked like a charm.

It had been strengthened and changed from the original formula that was meant to fight werewolves, vampires and be used as a shield and weapon. Dragons has also been captured and used in attacks. The notoriously difficult to subdue animals rained havoc on the small group for a while but with some ingenious thinking by Hermione they had made it so the even dragons fell beneath the force of Living Metal.

During the battle of Number 12 it was used to deflected multiple curses, killing and otherwise, before it was damaged enough to have to be removed. It appeared the four only went down when multiple killing curses took their lives. Each dying with a smug contentment on their faces. It was easy to tell why though. Around them the bodies of over thirty deatheaters lay and later reports stated that even Voldemort had been injured.

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Harry hissed as he cauterized the stump that was were his hand use to be. Ron stared back at him with lifeless eyes. The final horcrux had been destroyed. The damn snake had bitten Ron and instead of getting the anti-venom potions out of his shrunken trunk he helped Harry subdue the damnable beast. The ten minute fight was all the poison needed to stop his heart.

Only one Weasley remained now. Bill had fled upon the insistence of Fleur and Harry really couldn't blame them. Bill had his own family that now became his priority. The shock of his last friend falling at his feet was all the time the virus like piece of soul needed to attach itself the the next closest living thing, Harry's hand. Knowing he had screwed up royally, the man cast a strong cutting curse, severing the damaged part from the healthy skin. The cut portion quickly turned black as night before Harry again cast out the fragment and this time killing it for good.

He gathered up Ron's body and apperated strait to the grave hidden under Potter family wards dating back to Merlin's time. A few spells and words of love, buried Ron next to Hermione, Remus, Tonks, the rest of his family, Lilly and James Potter. He poured his heart out to no one but himself, sobbing there with all that were dear to him. He didn't leave for two days.

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Harry batted away the spell with his own silver hand before ordering the silver to shoot out like a bullet. Hundreds of silver bullets littered the body of Peter Petegrew. Harry buried the body beside his father's. It was winter.

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Three years after the death of Albus Dumbledore:

The next day the Daily Prophet was littered with pictures of the dead.

For Six months Harry followed deatheaters. He was now known as The Ghost. No one other than Voldemort had been able to find him. They had dueled more than a dozen times now and the Dark Lord was the only one to survive those meetings, though not unscathed.

This time though Harry had executed his plan perfectly. Nearly one hundred deatheater houses were destroyed all at the exact moment Severus Snape had killed Dumbledore three years ago. The muggle explosives Harry had been stealing from army bases around the world did what no spell would ever be able to. In exact precision nearly one hundred and fifty followers of Voldemort were destroyed, leaving him only a handful of followers left. One of those being Severus Snape.

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After his latest success and with no other loved ones still alive in Britain, Harry traveled to France and ended up spending half a year with Bill and Fleur. In that time he learned all the cruse breaker knew and together they studied how to build and break wards.

In this time Harry met Amee, a friend of Fleur's from Beaubuxton. She had ventured to Hogwarts all those years ago but she and Harry never met. It was easy to see it was love at first site for each of them. Amee, like Fleur it seemed, found the collection of scars riddling Harry's body a show a strength and character. Harry in turn thought she was most probably the most beautiful being on the planet. She had a light complexion and sea green eyes, coppery hair with gold high-lights and a smile just for Harry. After only two weeks of knowing each other they hardly ever let the other out of their sight.

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That summer Harry and Amee married and prepared to travel back to England. Harry left things unfinished there.

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Harry slipped the invisibility cloak around him with only his wand tip visible. Slowly he unraveled the wards protecting Spinners End. It took hours but finally they thinned then vanished without a sound. Snape wasn't in obviously and Harry quickly set up his own wards so as not to alert the man.

Three days Harry watched and waited. His time spent in occlumency. The greasy son-of-a-bitch wouldn't ever know what happened until he was at Harry's mercy. Soft voices alerted the young man as he prepared himself to the best of his capability. The next thing Harry saw made him stop in his tracks. Preceding Snape into the house having not noticed the ward change or Harry as of yet was Albus Dumbledore.

"I tell you Albus we need to be more careful. No one has seen the brat for nearly eight months but there is little doubt I am on his now short list to kill."

"Fear not Severus. I doubt Harry would kill you after I have explained things to him properly." The voice was a dead give away. No one could talk in that grandfatherly, yet condescending manner other than Dumbledore.

Harry's blood started to boil as the betrayal hit and his anger nearly swept away all vestiges of occlumency. Dumbledore's head lifted as if he thought he noticed something but after searching the room with both eyes and senses he went back to talking to Snape.

"You can tell that to the hundreds of deatheaters he has already killed. Hell, you've seen what he has done do some of those he killed. Where in the nine hells did he ever learn soul magic from. Rookwood and Malfoy Sr. each had their magic and souls ripped from them before being melted."

"I am afraid it would be my fault for introducing young Harry into that branch of magic. He needed it to be able to destroy the horcruxes. Where he has found further information I do not know. It saddens me greatly to see Harry killing. There is never a reason for it. Hundreds of magical folks dead by his hand. I never would have thought him capable."

"I told you over and over while we were still in control of that brat to use some kind of control potion." Snape muttered more to himself than anyone else.

"Yes, perhaps you are correct Severus. Still I did what I thought was best. I never would have believed Harry was capable of fighting this well. He never showed this aptitude while I knew him. Even using legilimency on him nearly every meal I had no idea of his true capabilities."

"True. I never had the impression he would amount to anything. It was amusing playing with Potter's and his friend's minds though. I don't even remember all the erroneous thoughts I planted in there. I must admit it was enjoyable making the boy miserable his entire fifth year."

"Yes our plans did work rather well that year. We were able to rid ourselves of Sirius therefore clearing the way for my plan to succeed."

"I still..." Snape yelled suddenly.

The old man didn't respond as as the next thing he saw were two shards of silver run through both of Snape's knee caps, severing the tendons and ligaments.. Dumbledore leapt up facing the direction the knives had come from. Nothing was there. Snape dropped to the ground whimpering like a baby, a leg clutched in each hand. Before Albus could react four silver spikes drove into him, literally nailing him to the wall. Two went through each shoulder another two though each knee.

Harry Potter let the invisibility cloak fall to the ground as he quickly disarmed Dumbledore then turned his wand on Snape. No tears came from the betrayal, only searing anger and hate.

"Don't Harry, Please." Albus managed though gritted teeth. "Let us explain."

"Yes you will be explaining." The cold soft sound of Harry's voice was chilling to the other men's ears.

A slight flick of his wand and the potions master's wand had been cleaved in two. Another and all portkeys drifted into the air then disappeared. Another and the man was dressed only in a pair of boxers and a white tshirt.

"How's that for keeping my mouth shut and mind clear Snivellus." Harry taunted, remembering the words the greasy git had spat after he had supposedly killed Dumbledore.

"What are you going to do Potter!" Snape spat out though his own pain. "Are you going to kill me while the headmaster watches?" It was obvious Snape had no idea what Harry was now capable of.

"He is no longer the Headmaster. That title belongs to another now. One who isn't a coward." The calm cool voice emitting from Harry did more to scare both older men more than anything else.

"Please let us explain Harry."

"No. You lost that privilege when you abandoned us, abandoned me, to this hellish war. You lost that privilege when I buried nearly every Weasley, Hermione, Remus, Tonks. YOU LOST THAT RIGHT YOU FUCK!"

His wand whipped down as he cast the most painful curse in existence on his once mentor. The anger and hate multiplied the intensity and the blood red vortex of magic struck the old man.

Dumbledore couldn't help but to scream in pain. The curse was the worse he had ever felt, worse even then Grindewald's or Tom's. Hours seemed to pass as Harry pushed his hate into the curse. Holding it until it was about to break the man's mind. Dumbledore's voice long since stopped working. Blood pooled on his tongue, ran from his ears and nose, splashing on the floor. Snape watched in total disbelief.

"You have no idea the amount of pain you are about to go through." Harry growled as he turned his attention back to the reason he came to his house in the first place.

For the next two hours Harry questioned the two men. Truth serum was hard for him to make but nothing compared to it when questioning someone else. After extracting the all the information he was going to need Harry spent hours making Severus Snape pay for his crimes. The entire time Dumbledore pleaded that he had only done what he needed to do to ensure the prophesy was fulfilled in their favor. That it was for the good of the whole, 'the greater good'. That only caused the spells to be fired in his direction.

Harry had left the dieing old man to watch as the final form of torture was prepared. A bag filled with a weak acid hung from a metal pole. Snape was no longer able to move as Harry inserted the IV needle into the man's artery. As he removed the clamp the slow drip of acid made it's way into the old potions master's body. Harry stayed for the first three hours, watching as the man to cause him so much pain died so very slowly and the cause of it all trying vainly to detach himself from the wall to help the man he felt were his own son.

Before Harry left and was sure enough of the acid had entered the system to kill him regardless of magical healing, Harry turned to Dumbledore, speaking only a few words as the man sobbed, still nailed to the wall.

"It's for the greater good Albus." Then he disappeared.

That night an anonymous letter was delivered to one Rita Skeeter with an address.

By the next day everyone in the wizarding world knew about Dumbledore's betrayal.

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The final battle seemed to be taking forever. The idiot professors charged the deatheaters early on only to get mowed down with killing curses. By now only Amee, Dumbledore and himself were left on the field. The deatheaters weren't fairing any better. Most were dead thanks to Amee and himself. All the aurors died gloriously in battle from the same person they had stunned four times over already.

A flash of light drew Harry's attention from the battle only to see Amee fall to the ground reveling Albus Dumbledore. He wore a pained expression and was bleeding all over. If Harry had to guess, Albus had tried to 'assist' Harry with Voldemort before Amee stepped in. She died ensuring her husband's safety. Even in death her sea green eyes held a deep seated love for him. Before anyone had a chance to recover Harry ripped the shocked old man's heart out with his metal hand.

All that was left was Riddle and Harry. Both tired and battle weary. Both having fought for hours prior to this final confrontation.

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His memories came back to the present as the green magic splashed across his torso. His eyes drifted shut.

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"This is what might have happened."

The soft female voice raised Harry from his peaceful rest.

"Change what is yet to come Harry. Be the man we all know you can be."

Harry opened his eyes to a brightly lit green field. Before him stood two people he hadn't seen in nearly twenty years.

"We are so very proud of you Harry. We will always be proud of you. Never forget that."

"We love you...son."

Lilly and James Potter faded from view.

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His eyes flew open, glowing with untamed power. His back arched from the thin matrice at a seemingly impossible angle. Arms stretched behind him as if trying to seek purchase on ice. The wheezing sound of air sucked into lungs at maximum force filled the air.

And Harry Potter lived once more.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry looked around the small room he had returned to not believing what was happening. The dream was already starting to slip away no matter how hard he fought the slippery strands of memory. Panic filled his being as he thought of forgetting what happened and living it all over again. It seemed as thought the air around the small room he was in condensed then and with the full force of his magic, years worth of occlumency he had refined were thrown back in place.

Harry drew blood from his lip as he refused to scream. Pressure built and minutes passed before the inky, yet peaceful blackness of unconsciousness claimed him once more.

The second time Harry awoke it was with a pounding head-ache. Now however he could remember everything so much better. The magical currents were still focusing on his mind, automatically reorganizing everything as it had been 'Before'. There was still a lot of work to do but it would get done eventually. Now he had to figure out what had happened.

That raised even more questions. Harry was still finding it hard to think strait. So much had gone thought his head. Was the entire thing a dream? Was it real and the prophesy shunted him back in time? Was this the 'Power the Dark Lord knew not'. There were hints that led to both questions being correct and incorrect. Hours passed as Harry tried to puzzle out the correct answer but he never came closer to it. The vision/dream could have been one last gift given to him by his parents. He did remember that short conversation. He had already actively perminately ingrained that part of the vision into his memory. It was the only time he could remember hearing his parents praise him, telling him that they loved him and supported him.

As the hours passed the sun began to rise. It was a clear morning, the sky turning an array of pinks, oranges and reds. Harry hoisted himself onto the edge of his window sill and watched the artwork of nature for perhaps the first time in years. He never had the time before. Always some pressing matter; people to kill, backs to be watched. For years, in his mind at least, he had been unable to enjoy the simple pleasures in life: a sunrise, childhood, laziness.

As the sun breached the horizon Harry decided that it really didn't matter if everything had really happened or not. It wouldn't happen again. Lost in peace he decided to label those memories as the Before. From now on would be the Now. He had lost the childhood notions of right and wrong. War had very different standards of those terms. He would no longer hesitate to eliminate an enemy perminately.

"So much has yet to happen." Harry whispered to himself as the sun inched higher. "I have so much work to do. I have to start all over again. I won't loose those I love again. I won't allow that to happen." Conviction filled Harry and he made a vow that he would protect and ready his closest friends this time. A slight breeze swirled around whipping the disheveled locks of hair around.

'Change what is yet to come Harry. Be the man we all know you can be.'

'We are so very proud of you Harry. We will always be proud of you never forget that.'

We love you...son.'

The words came back to him as if whispered on the wind. And with those last unbidden thoughts Harry knew it was time to get started.

"Alright, first thing I need to do is figure out what year I'm in." Harry moved to the broken mirror and nearly lost consciousness for the second time that day. Standing before him was a nearly deadly skinny and short boy. It was obvious it was some time before Harry's sixth year. 'We're going to have to fix this.' eying his body and clothing with disgust. The bulky glasses would have to go as well. He would need contacts until he could finish the eye correction potion he and Hermione had concocted as they were experimenting with alchemy.

That was another thing that confused Harry. He could remember everything from the past for the most part. Enemies, friends, everything he had studied but it seemed that he couldn't remember the _feel_ of the magical spells he had learned. He remembered the incantation, wand movements and effects but the different feelings of the magic was lost to him. Harry didn't know what that might mean yet but he had a pretty good idea. This body had never cast those spells. Hell this body probably couldn't cast most of those spells. He had yet to go though magical maturity but there were rituals that could be done for that. He would have to get his hands on some of the books. That was for another time though. The potions he knew as well as the alchemy wouldn't need anything but his memory of the processes and that was all he needed for the time.

He moved over to his trunk and looked at the books inside. "Only up the third year. So it must be the summer before the Tri-wizard." Harry grinned, he would be able to see Amy again and maybe this time ensure their relationship started much sooner. "there _is_ much work to be done."

Sitting down at the broken desk Harry took out a piece of parchment. He grimaced at the quill and ink bottle. Before he and Hermione had stopped using the cumbersum objects and purchased fountain pens. They produced better writing and still worked on parchment better than any quill the two had found and was decidedly less messy.

"I need to get to town. New cloths are a must." Harry mumbled as he jotted down what he would need. "Exercise equipment is a must..."

Three hours later Harry folded the two sheets of parchment he had. He tossed on a school robe after tearing off the Gryffindor badge then wrapped the invisibility cloak around him. He was pretty sure that Dumbledore would not have guards watching over him yet since Voldemort had yet to be resurrected, still he wasn't going to take any chances.

Thirty minutes later Harry materialized with a soft yet sharp crack, like the pop a bubble wrap bubble made, in the alley between the Cauldron and Diagon.

'It seems as though apperation is one of the things I can still do. Probably because if you know the theory behind it, it is a simple bit of magic. Glad the Ministry has no way of tracking it.' Harry thought as he tapped the bricks in the proper order to open.

The first stop was obviously Gringotts. Harry's face hardened as he remembered how the creatures had been conspiring with Dumbledore to steal Harry's money. It didn't help that he had personally killed dozens of the dastardly little shits that were in the service of Voldemort. His mind took him back as he continued his walk.

A dozen goblins had appeared in the French magical district armed to the teeth. He and Amy had been engaged for all of two days. She had never seen him fight before.

As Harry turned, Amy saw a side to the man she love she had never seen before. Gone was the tender man. Before her was a demi-god. Power seemed to pool around him. Green eyes sparkled with power untold.

"Stay her and make sure Gabby is safe." Harry whispered quickly as he gave her a kiss. Amy could only nod, praying her love would come back to her soon.

Harry didn't wait any longer before he slipped though the crowd. The goblins had made directly for the wizarding bank, one that was not owned or run by goblins but dwarfs. By the time Harry reached them the four guards had been killed and more dwarf were lined up ready to defend the entrance of the bank. As the goblins and dwarf stared down each other three dozen more goblins appeared in a swirl of portkey transport. The one thing Harry had learned about goblins is that they had one of the strongest magics. However it was more geared towards warding. It also took a long time for a goblin to do a spell. What this meant was that the creatures, like the dwarfs, used more conventional weapons with magic only occasionally.

A dark smirk graced Harry's face as he drew one of his long daggers from a hidden sheath. The blade was made out of the living metal he and his long dead friends had created. It was stronger than any other blade in existence and could respond to the users command.

In a blink Harry charged, magic assisting his speed and strength. Six of the goblins fell to his combination of magic and blade before the others even knew what happened. Four more before the goblins even started putting up a resistance. The ringing of metal on metal was some sort of silent signal for the dwarfs as they charged out with axes swinging. Harry avoided sword strikes or parried them with his own blade while he used magic to mow down little green creatures.

A blade made a shallow cut down his torso but the goblin never had a chance to land a second strike as the dagger shattered into five pieces cutting him and three others of his kind to shreds. Before anyone could blink Harry had his second dagger in hand and the battle raged on.

With Harry's help at splitting up the forces of goblins, the attackers were quickly overwhelmed. The few remaining tired to flee but a whip of fire removed their heads before their hands could even reach inside the armor. Harry would be damned if one of the little shits went back to report, leading to the discovery of Harry's where abouts.

Amy couldn't believe her eyes as she watched the final goblin's head drop to the earth. Amazement and pride blossomed inside her as she watched her soon to be husband stand victorious over his foes. He was battered and bruised, cut in a few places. The wounds were shallow but goblin weapons always left scars she knew. It was from where most of Harry's other scars came from. She would take pride in healing the wounds covering his body as they retired home. She vowed there she would never let her husband fight alone again. She would be there with him in all his future battles. She knew most of what she needed. Being the eldest daughter to one of France's most distinguished duelers and aurors had it's perks. Still she needed to learn fighting with weapons and some of the more deadly spells she had seen Harry cast. She was extremely interested in the spell that seemed to crush a group of four goblins with a huge steel slab. It had reminded her of the old cartoons she had once watched. Only then it was an anvil or a piano.

As Harry reached the doors to the bank he was lifted from his memories. A smile graced the young man's lips at the memories of what happed after he and Amy returned home. The first time they had made love together was definitely a time he would remember.

The smile couldn't stay in place forever though and by the time Harry left Gingotts he had nearly destroyed the office of the General Manager as well as quite a few goblins that were in the room. In the end though Harry had every knut of stolen money returned to him and a life binding contract of ten of the managers stating it would never happen again. Harry took great pleasure watching Griphook grovel at his feet before being executed for corroboration with Dumbledore. The old man would never find out what happened to his 'IN' within the bank. The only evidence of what happened were the dark stains on the bottom of Harry's shoes.

Money bag filled and a wad of pounds in his pocket Harry set off into the shopping district.

By the time Harry returned home that evening he was never happier for having a five compartment trunk. That had been the first thing he had purchased. It was just like the trunk Dumbledore had given him Before. He now knew it was called a Journeyman's trunk. There was a compartment for clothes. A large study like compartment for his supplies, brooms, cauldrons, books; it had a desk in a corner finishing up the comfortable room. The third was a potions lab and fourth a spell practice chamber. Then the final room was blank. Before Harry had turned this into a weight room but now with the ability to use the Room of Requirement he didn't know what he would do with it yet.

Not even bothering to organize his new possessions, Harry flopped onto his bed. Having eaten three large meals for perhaps the first time ever while he lived at Privet Drive while he was out shopping, Harry drifted off to sleep, his energy spent. The last thought that crossed his mind was how pathetic it was that he didn't have any energy left.

The next few days saw Harry organizing things to his liking. He had ventured out into muggle London again and bought a workout system as well as a host of free weights. He figured that there would be times he wouldn't want to travel all the way to the RoR or wanted to work out in secret. Knowing Ron he would do everything in his power to make Harry see the error of his ways and just relax and play games. Hermione would spend the time chastising him for not spending the time studying. As he looked around the study he nodded to himself. His school set of cauldrons were organized well and easy to get to. The automatic cleaning of the cabinet would help a lot. He couldn't really remember ever cleaning his cauldrons while in school. It was probably one of the reasons things didn't turn out as well as they should have. Four brooms now hung on the rack on the wall. His old Firebolt sat next to a new Firebolt and two Nimbus 2000. Two more Firebolts were still in boxes inside a hidden drawer to be delivered to Ron and Ginny for Christmas. No name would grace the gift. It would only lead to the two refusing them. His books were all set up on the still nearly totally empty book case. And his desk was stocked with mounds of parchment and fountain pens. The final two items were a large foe glass that even now had ghostly figures swimming in it. Probably Crouch Jr., Wormtail and Babymort.

Knowing Hermione's birthday was only a few days away he had a stationary shop send out a gift wrapped set of some of the best stationary, fountain pen and paper set. He hoped she would get the idea that the pens worked great on parchment as well. The high cost paper wasn't too different from it.

The potions lab was likewise set to standards as well as all the other rooms. His old trunk holding all his new wizarding cloths. Stepping out of the trunk he saw the pile of old rags the Dursleys deemed fit to throw his way and all the old Hogwart's robes that were now too small. Not knowing what to do with them he just left them in a corner for the time being.

The days passed slowly. He did his chores outside in naught but a pair of shorts, allowing the sun to darken his skin and bring back a healthy look rather than the sickening white he was now. His aunt nearly feinted as she noticed the accumulation of scars that riddled his body already. First year with the damned keys and Quritell, second with the damn basilisk and the third with the damnable willow tree and the dementors. Add that to quidditch injuries and he had a nice collection accumulated. The hot summer sun felt good though and working in the garden allowed him to use what little muscle he had.

Every day he would retire to his lab and make potions. Four times a day he drank the concoctions. Nutrient potions have him more than enough to fulfill the daily requirement of key vitamins and minerals. A calcium potions started to turn his brittle bones into strong ones. An protein potions he had concocted acted much like the muggle protein shakes without the unnecessary fats. Add to the list a series of vitamin potions other supplemental potions he was brewing and taking he would be back to normal by next summer. After all, even with magic it took time to turn around such mal-nutrition and neglect.

He had continued with his work on alchemy with his and Hermione's ultimate goal of creating another Sourcer's stone. The added gold to their vaults would have helped Before, since Dumbledore stole all his to pay for the Order. It had left the three friends in a real bind after the destruction of the Burrow. However it was the elixir that they were most interested in. Not only was it able to extend life but also heal even the most greiviously wounded. It worked even better than phoenix tears. Harry had long thought Dumbledore either kept the stone for himself or at least a piece of it before destroying it. It was just a guess but it seemed that the old man never aged after first year.

Still the secrets of the Stone were remaining secret for the time being. A batch of Living Metal was simmering in a man sized cauldron in the corner. It wouldn't be ready for another three months. His eye site potion he had created sat a good distance away but simmering as well, waiting for the next step. That potion would be ready just before he was taken to the Burrow. Being a creation of his own it had many enhancements. True it would fix his eyes but also give him great night vision. Everything would turn a gray scale in low light periods but he would still be able to see clearly even in the pitch black. He had never told a soul about that benefit. It was one of the ways he was such a deadly assassin. It also gave him what he called 'eagle eyes'. If he concentrated enough he could zoom in on a person or piece of parchment. It was great for intelligence gathering.

His other potions were going well also. A batch of Polyjuice was nearing completion. Harry and Hermione's brew of Wolfsbane was bubbling away. The only difference was that it actually tasted like Firewhiskey and only a shot size portion was needed instead of a full goblet.

That was all the room would hold with all the medical and nutritional potions he was brewing at the time but it would suffice for now.

After his brewing he went into the weight room and lifted weights to tone his muscle instead of creating bulk. He made sure that he didn't do to much and actually hurt himself or his growth. A punching bag, treadmill and an assortment of other items to work specific areas also gained use.

A few hours later and Harry went into the spell practice area and worked on his dagger techniques. He had purchased a practice pair while in the alley but upon trying to use them he found that he had lost much of his skill. He would have to train his body in the art all over again.

Finally after dinner he practiced yoga. Absolutely nothing was more important than flexibility and body control while fighting. The mental calming techniques also helped when in a tight situation.

So the days passed. It only took a few days of sparse dinner helpings for Harry to re-hire Dobby. The little elf nearly went catatonic with happiness when Harry asked him to be his bound elf. Too much was at risk to not have the binding protection. It was a good thing too that he had hired his long time friend when he informed his 'family' he would no longer cook for them.

"Boy get your freak face down here and start cooking our dinner!" Vernon yelled as he slammed the door open to Harry's room. He had just returned from work and it looked like it had been a bad day. "What have you been doing all day? Lazing about no doubt. You're a no good freak. Just like your drunk father and whore of a mother."

Harry only lifted a sculpted eyebrow above the rim of his glasses. It was the only indication he even listened to the rant his uncle have been on about. As he left his room after Vernon lumbered onward to his room to change Harry thought, 'this is going to have to stop.' A dark smile graced his face as he moved down the stairs without a sound.

After arriving in the kitchen the only thing Harry did was find a nice chair to sit in and wait for the confrontation to begin. It didn't take long.

"What do you think you doing you worthless pile of shit?" Vernon hissed well aware his voice would carry to the neighbors though the open patio doors. "I told you to start our dinner. Now get to it and no food for you for a week you worthless laze about."

By this time the rest of the Dursleys entered the kitchen.

"No, I don't think I will." Harry went back to reclining in the chair.

"What?" Vernon growled as his face turned purple.

"You heard me you fat tub of lard. If you want food you'll get your bean stalk wife to do it for you. If I cook then I'm going to be the one eating it. Not you. I'm tired of the constant abuse you've tried to heap on me." Harry's face turned to stone and his eyes glowed. "It ends now." Harry hissed only barely sounding human.

The others in the room back away with fear etched into every move they made. Vernon however bellowed like a wounded elephant and made to leap the table to get at the young wizard.

In an instant Harry had both daggers he had bought out ready to defend himself but it was unnecessary. A blast of blue magic blew Vernon backward, bending his body in half, and launched him though the kitchen wall and into the living room.

"You's is not be harming Master Harry Potter again fat noisy muggle! Next times Dobby is turning yous into a walrus and sending you to cold big water!" The little house elf's features were set in ridged anger that even took Harry aback for a second.

"AHH, Mum what is that thing? The freak has a Gremlin! We're going to die!" Dudley wailed, causing Harry to bust out laughing. Petunia only looked on in abject horror that something so abnormal had not only preformed the "M" word inside her kitchen but was still standing in it..

Harry decided it was time to introduce his friend. "This," He started, "is a house elf. He is both my friend and employee. As you can see he is also quite protective of me. I would advise you to give him no reason to follow though on his threat. He is well versed in magic."

"Come Master Harry." Dobby stalked over to grab Harry's hand. "We's be going to Master's room and Dobby is to bring food from Hogwarts. Master is powerful and good wizard and is needing his food to help magic be growing stronger." As the two left the ruined kitchen Dobby scowled fiercely at the broken form of Vernon.

True to his word, Dobby had brought no less than four meals a day for Harry to eat from Hogwarts. All house elf sized as well, meaning enough for a family of five. So far Harry hadn't even managed to eat half the food his devoted elf brought to him. Vernon was in the hospital still. He suffered numerous broken bones and more than a few ruptured disks in his back. It would take years to even get back to normal assuming he ever would. Dudley had tried to defend his family honor but true to his word Dudley was found in a tank full of killer whales days later in Florida. No one knew how the new whale had arrived or how a morbidly obese child seemed to replace it not three days later. The boy did the first smart thing in his life by not giving away the magical world as he was being questioned by the FBI and CIA. He was set to be returned to the British authorities the following day along with a rather hefty fine for crossing international boarders illegally.

Other than that the days passed by normally. He and Dobby were dreaming up plans on how to enter the Ministry and disabling the magical monitoring system around Privet Drive. Harry had told the devoted elf everything of his vision and Dobby ate it up, promising to do what ever he could to assist Harry. Just as he had done the last time. It was still so easy to see Dobby's grave beside Hermione's. He had managed to kill five deatheaters and wound several more before they were able to take the little creature out.

On the Friday after his birthday, he and Dobby decided to make a go for the Ministry. Even though they would get little use this holiday the next few years he had to spend summer with his only blood relations would be much easier. Both figured it would be easier to rig the system now, before the rise of Voldemort and the rift Fudge created with his slander, as security would be much more loose now than afterward. Dobby had spent the past week researching the wards. And, as expected, without the threat of Voldemort the security was horrible. Apperation wards only covered selected areas around the ministry. The Department of Underage Magic didn't even have any. In the process the two had traveled all over doing what ever it was that needed to be done. Fudge had even been tricked into signing a magical document stating Harry and all his friends could apperate legally. It was a nifty set of charms derived mostly from the Marauders and handed down to him from Remus. Fudge thought he was signing one of the numerous and continuous reports from Umbridge regarding the distribution of Ministry funds. Only after that did the writing change to reveal the real document.

That was a few days ago and only yesterday did Harry receive his brand new apperation license. He was sure he would be getting a few letters soon from his friends asking what the hell was going on. That night found both wizard and elf dressed in black, Dobby with a face splitting grin, they disappeared from Privet Drive.

Harry thought that the invisibility cloak he had was probably the best thing he had ever received. Both door guards for the department where sleeping soundly at their post. Dobby and Harry shared a knowing look before they set into action. After casting sleep spells on both to ensure they wouldn't awake Harry continued into the room alone while Dobby went to see what he could 're-distribute' form auror storage. In this instance he was glad that the Ministry could only detect magic use and not the person who cast the magic. In such a magic rich environment as the Ministry Harry really doubted that such low level charms as a sleeping or stunning spell would even register. After sneaking into the room with none the wiser all that was needed was another sleeping spell on the old witch manning the monitoring device. It wasn't a difficult task, the lady was half asleep and reading a romance novel. She also looked to weigh as much as Dudley. Harry was in serious doubt that the lady could move quick enough to put up any kind of defense even if she did register the attack.

'This must be Hopkirk. I wonder if she ever leaves that chair?' Harry thought as he moved over to the large map covering an entire wall. Every now and then an area would light up red indicating magic use in a non magical environment registered to an underage wizard or witch. It was hard not to know that as the directions on how to read the map were stuck to the wall beside it. 'Merlin the magical world was full of morons' Harry thought to himself as he read the instruction on how to work the device. He quickly made it so that the areas around the homes of known deatheaters flashed. Maybe Draco would be getting a warning once Hopkirk awoke. Petty, yes, but the more trouble he could cause the Malfoys the better.

After that the map just needed a few rather complicated charms to not light up an area, again courtesy of Remus from Before. It took a while longer than he thought it would. Even though he knew the charms and had used them Before for the same purpose, now though his body had to get use to the new magic. Eventually he finished and decided to disable both the Granger house, the Weasleys and Grimmauld Place residences as well just for the hell of it.

'If we are going to start early I better make sure they don't get caught. After this year Fudge will be after me. If I keep him alive.' Harry added as an after thought.

After sneaking out, when in reality a wounded bull wouldn't have been found, both Harry and Dobby met up where they had appeared earlier. Harry knew Dobby must have found a few good items as he had an even wider face splitting grin on his face but refused to speak until they had returned home. Quietly the two trespassers moved on to the same spot they had arrived at. Mission accomplished the two popped away, back to number four

Dudley was home by the time Harry got up the next morning. He looked terrible, seemingly loosing a bit a weight without his mother's constant stream of food into his mouth. He had yet to say a word to anybody and Harry thought it was just revenge for everything the brute had done to him over his life. He would not feel sorry for any of the Dursleys for any misfortune befalling them. They had it coming. To make things even worse for the Dursleys, better for Harry, the presss caught wind of the international incident the day before and the papers had been riddled with the scandal, further blackening the Dursley reputation and name.

Vernon was returned that night as well and Harry decided that maybe it was a bit much to perminately injure the sack of shit. So taking a vial of potion from his ready made stores he marched down to the special bed that had been constructed in the living room.

"Hello my loving family." Harry said in a joyous yet sarcastic tone as he entered the room.

Vernon moaned pitifully. "What do you want boy. Haven't done enough to our family?" Petunia asked scathingly. "You already ruined Vernon's life. We had to spend our savings for our vacations and house upgraded to pay for the fine your _thing_ caused."

"Aunt, dear aunt." Harry shook his head. "You three have made my life a living hell since I was no more than a year and a half old. I don't feel the need to lecture you on it all now. As a matter of fact I am feeling rather beneficial." Harry held up a vial of milky white liquid. "Do you know what this is?"

Having the attention of the other three residence that lived with him Harry continued without waiting for an answer. "This is a potion I learned to make at that _freak_ school of mine. You see, magical healing is so much better than the muggle kind. We can fix broken bones in minutes. Back injuries might take a bit longer. You see this is a potion called Skele-grow. As you can probably already imagine it will regrow bones and the like."

"Yea right. That's not even possible." Dudley sneered the first words he had said since his arrival.

"Oh I assure you it does work. I've taken it personally. Had to regrow all the bones in my left arm after a fool of a professor removed them all during my second year. It hurts like hell, feels like needles and pins inside your body. Tastes like sewage as well, but it works. Now would you like to have this or would you like Vernon to be restrained to a bed or chair for the rest of his life?"

Petunia quickly snatched the vial way and drained the contents into an indignant and struggling Vernon's mouth. As it emptied she clamped her husband's mouth shut to keep him from spitting it back out. After a few minutes the struggle ended and the pained moaning began, signaling the start of a rather painful night for one Vernon Dursley.

The potion had taken three days to fix the damage Dobby did to Vernon. The damaged areas were still sore but he was able to function again. He dared not attack Harry. The man fled the house any time he laid eyes on the boy wizard.

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With only two weeks to go until school started Harry finally received the letter he had been waiting for. Ron, the twins and Mr. Weasley were to pick him up in two days time. In a good mood he bounced down the stairs to give the news to his loving family.

"Oh Petunia, I'm going to be getting picked up by the Weasleys this Thursday. I won't be coming back until next year."

The woman glowered at the spawn of her sister. Ever since she had taken the potion from him he had called her by her first name. The same with Vernon and he always had that smirk on his face indicating he had something over them. She hated it and hated him more with each day that passed. "Fine as long as your gone. How will they be arriving. I hope it is the normal way. None of your freakish travel and showing up in perfectly normal neighborhoods wearing your freak clothes."

"No worries." Harry said smiling his knowing smile. "They're coming by floo. I would recommend you remove the electric fire. Otherwise they will have to blow it up to be able to get out. Could you image the amount of soot that would cover the living room if that happened."

Harry could only smile as he left and a stricken Petunia Dursley ran to the fire place, starting to remove one of their newest home improvements.

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"Hey Ron!" Harry yelled joyfully as the tall lanky teen emerged from the fire place. It had taken a lot of talking with Dobby and thinking but Harry would have to act normal with his friend. the letters they had been passing back and forth served to break the shock of actually having one of his best friends alive again.

"Harry mate." Ron crowed as he crossed the room leaving a trail of soot each step. They smiled at each other and Ron pulled him into a brotherly hug. "Blimey mate!" Ron said astounded as he took in the new looking Harry. "It looks like your finally growing out of your midget stage. And what happened to your glasses?"

Harry laughed. "Contacts Ron. A muggle contraption that fit on the eye that act like glasses." He didn't want to tell him about the potion he had taken already.

Before the two friends could converse further both Fred and George appeared.

"Gred, Forge, how splended to see you two." Harry went over to greet the two dumb struck twins. Harry had never acted like this before. As he pulled the two heads toward his he whispered. "Don't play any pranks. I have a fragile truce now. A magical prank would only set them off on me next summer."

Both nodded, looking disappointed. "But I will help you test them on Percy."

"Harry, son, are you ready to get going. Big day tomorrow. The World Cup and all. Only comes around once every four years and we have tickets for the top box." Mr. Weasley asked jovially.

"Yea, I'm ready. Could you get this George?" Harry and George moved the trunk to the fire which had turned green again. The twins left first with Harry's trunk, Ron next and Mr. Weasley following. As flames died Harry turned a menacing glare on his 'family'.

"I will be back next year and when I do come back your behavior will continue as is has this summer. You will not like the surprises I have in store for you if you should degrade back to your 'normal' selves."

With that Harry tossed a pinch of sparkling powder in to the almost extinct flame. Backing up into them and watching the horrifying looks on the Dursley's faces as the green flames licked his body, causing no harm, Harry called out 'The Burrow' and disappeared in a swirl of fire.

Floo travel was never something he would get the hang of Harry decided after slamming his elbows and knees on no less than three other grates on the way to the Burrow. At least now he knew how to keep himself from flying across the room upon exit though. Stumbling slightly as the ended the trip in the familiar house Harry turned to glare at the offending grate.

"What did that fire place ever do to you?" George asked with a laugh after seeing the scowl.

Harry grumbled under his breath but was unable to answer further as he was nearly tackled by a squealing bushy haired blob. "Harry, oh I missed you so much. You will never believe how wonderful Greece was. What have you been up to. You haven't really written much in you letters."

It was true. He still had the mindset of putting as little as possible in letters delivered by owl. It was a lesson hard learned after he found Hedwig never made it to her destinations. He never found out what happened to her. So other than telling them how he managed to trick Fudge into approving apperation licenses the letters had been pretty boring.

Hermione hadn't like the idea of tricking the Minister of Magic and had sent a ten page note on her new stationary, which Harry admonished her for because she opened her birthday present nearly a month early. Still after a week of corespondence he got her to agree with him.

"Well, you know I don't like writing all that stuff down. I much rather tell you face to face. Plus it's only a few months. We have the rest of the year." The answer astounded most of those who knew him. Harry always hated going to the Dursleys. Correctly interpreting the confused looks Harry elaborated. "Don't get me wrong, I hate those muggles but as I told Gred and Forge, we came to a truce this year. It made the summer much better."

"A truce? In what way Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Well to be honest I told them I would magic them all to pieces if they didn't feed me and leave me alone. Basically told them I wouldn't be their slave any longer."

"Way to go mate. Didn't know you had it in you." Ron crowed as he slapped his friend on the back. "OW, what do you have on under you shirt anyway?"

"Harry!" Hermione screeched, scandalized. "You know you can't do magic without getting expelled. What were you thinking!"

Harry turned his Avada Kadavra eyes onto his best female friend. Power and command seemed to fill his being as he spoke. "Do not lecture me on what I can and can not do Hermione. You didn't have to grow up in conditions worse than a house elf. You didn't have a broom closet as a bedroom until your Hogwarts letter came. You never had to cook every meal for a family that would only let you eat the scraps they didn't. You were never beaten, belittled and ridiculed by anyone who knew you. Don't dare lecture me on what I can and can not do. Dumbledore left me on the damn doorstep in the middle of the night right after my parents died. I could give a damn if those _muggles_ lived or died."

The venom of his speech left little to the imagination of the horrors Harry had grown up with. The entire house was in the room as he said it and it was the first time he had ever let so much information slip about his life pre-Hogwarts in this time.

Those around the room couldn't believe what he had said. None could imagine growing up in an enviroment such as that. As the others stood frozen Harry lifted his trunk with one arm and marched it up the stairs.

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"I'm sorry Harry. I never knew." Hermione slipped inside Ron's room after Harry had removed some of the books Dobby had aquired from auror command and was reading them quietly on the cot that was to be his bed for the next week at the Burrow.

"I know you are Hermione. But you have to stop thinking you know better than everyone else and bossing them around. It's one of the reasons you had such a hard time making friends in first year. And also one of the reasons we three don't have many other friends."

"I know." She said as she slipped onto the cot with him, sitting at his feet. "I try you know. To loosen up."

"I know." Harry smirked at his friend letting her know she was forgiven. "Ron and I have had a good influence on you." They both laughed remembering all their adventures. "You know," Harry continued, "I've had a lot of time to think this summer. I've come to realize some things as well." once he had her full attention he continued. "Every year we have fought something. Twice it was Voldemort related. We know he's still out there, waiting to come back. He will too you know. Sooner or later, he will return and he seems to pay a rather unhealthy amount of attention to me."

Harry looked deep into Hermione's eyes, searching for something he didn't know. "We will have to fight him sooner or later and when we do he won't be firing stunning spells and tripping jinxes. Will you still want to be my friend when that day occurs? When the situation calls to kill or be killed? When being my friend puts everyone you love in danger, you parents, with no way to fight back? When your spell ends someone elses life?"

The silence was thick for a long time before the woman Harry knew Hermione would grow into appeared before his eyes. "I'll never leave you Harry. I will stand by you and be your friend no matter what. We've simply been though too much to put aside our friendship."

"Glad to hear it." Harry pulled his long time friend into a hug. She sniffed then kissed him on the cheek.

"Come on down stairs. Dinner is about ready and Mrs. Weasley is determined to erase those years of neglect."

"I have no doubt of that." Harry laughed as he pulled her up from the cot. "Plus I need to gather everyone up. I have some information that the twins will love to hear."

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"Blimey Harry, what is this all about?" Fred groaned.

"It's one in the bloody morning." George finished for him.

"If you don't want to know you are more than able to go back to bed." Ginny grumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Harry only smirked and pulled his wand. A second later the room was sound-proofed.

Eyes widened as the others realized exactly what Harry had done. "Just thought you ought to know, Magic isn't traced per wand." To prove his point he opened the window with magic and they all waited for the owls to arrive. None did after ten minutes. "Is that a good enough reason to wake you my devoted pranksters?"

"Blimey Gred, think of all the pranks we can make using our wands." Feorge whispered. The twins looked at one another before grins lit up their faces.

"Right now listen." Harry continued. "Magic is only traces by instance. If a burst of magic occurs in a muggle area with no know magical family they send people out to investigate it. Once we get our wands we are registered with our address. That way if a burst of magic occurs they send a letter if the person is under age. Now tell me, what happens if an of age wizard is in the residence?"

"They won't be able to tell who did the magic." Ginny whispered in an awed voice.

Harry smiled at the red head. "Right you are. That means while we are at the Burrow no owls will arrive for underage magic. Now you can see how that might just seem a little unfair to me. So before I reveal anymore I want oaths stating you won't reveal anything I am about to tell you to another soul, ghost or creature."

The others looked at him strangely but Harry's firm face let them know he wouldn't tell unless they did. One by one they stated the oath.

"Good, now Hermione don't freak out on me. I have a reason for doing what I did and I will talk to you about it later." After receiving a nod from the girl he pressed on. "Well a few weeks into the summer I hired Dobby on as my elf." As expected Hermione huffed and narrowed her eyes. "When I did tell my _relitives_ I was no longer going to act their slave Vernon attacked me. He made it all of a step before Dobby appeared and blew him through the kitchen wall. He ended up breaking a couple bones and hurting his back pretty bad. That happening is what led me to thinking of the ability to protect myself." Harry then launched into his speech of how Voldemort would one day return. "So Dobby and I decided we had to change a few things." Harry stood and with a soft crack he was on the other side of the room. "The first thing we did was learn apperation. No one would thing that a fourteen year old could apperate but it is really easy once you know the theory behind it. I bet I could teach each of you in a few days. What's even better is that apperation can't be tracked. The only time you can be fined if if an auror sees you apperating without a licence.

"So after learning how to apperate the two of us snuck into the Ministry and disabled the underage map for Privet drive, your house Hermione and here, the Burrow."

Mouths dropped around the room. Obviously it was a little too much information for each of them to handle. Finally the twins dropped to their knees.

"Our hero. The great Boy-Who-Lived. Greatest prankster since the great Marauders. We worship you."

Harry laughed but the others were still in a bit of shock.

"Blimey Harry, you have been busy this summer." Ron said in a daze

"Are you sure this is alright though?" Hermione questioned. "I mean what if you get caught?"

"Don't worry Mione, the spells I used are untraceable. Plus who would think a third year would be able to break into the Ministry and trick their system. Even if they did find it they would deny it on sheer principal."

"Alright, if you think so. I have been wanting to show my parents some of the things I've been learning." Hermione smiled as she thought of the things she would be able to do.

'Same old Mione.' Harry mused to himself. She never did let something as silly as laws stop her.

"So what else have you been up to?" Ron asked now that everything settled in.

"Well," Harry rummaged though his new trunk pulling out two flowing silvery cloaks. "I did do a little shopping in Diagon alley. Talked to a guy who knew a guy that knew about a guy who had found a guy who was trying to get rid of a few extra invisibility cloaks; black market style. The price was so good I had to get them." Harry tossed one to the twins and the other to Ron.. As expected none of them wanted the items saying it was too much. "I figured the four of us could get by with two cloaks." Harry motioned between himself, Ron, Hermione and Ginny. "So you two need your own. I only ask that we not end up as part of the pranks you pull using it." The twins nodded, forgetting entirely to try to give the cloak back. In reality the two cloaks were found in auror storage by Dobby. They were the only two not currently in use which was ashame. It would have been nice to get one for each of them. "These might just save our lives in the coming future."

"Thank you so much Harry. We'll make sure to keep it safe." The twins said in perfect unison.

"I also have these for each of you." Harry tossed a wand holster to each person in the room as well as a forearm sheath for a dagger and a book on muggle fighting with daggers and knifes. "The wand holsters are charmed to blend into your skin once put on and have the same spells as the ones the aurors use. The books and the dagger sheath are for later. I just think we should know other ways to defend ourselves if we become wandless."

There was a general consensus around the room. It really was a smart idea.

"Now before you all run a muck with these I know Dumbledore can sense people even under invisiblility cloaks, Snape can as well. It's because both are Legilimens. Basically they can read minds and view memories out of peoples heads. The skill also allows them to 'sense' magic."

"Finally I need for you to pass this book around. You will all have to learn occlumency. A skilled legilimens can plant or alter memories in another's mind. While I was studying occlumency I ran across some events that seemed wrong. Further investigation found that they had been altered." Everyone had a look of minor horror on their face. Some from the shear notion of having Snape mess with their memories and other for the thought that their memories and minds were so vunerable. "You each received an apperation license in the mail. As I wrote you earlier, I managed to trick Fudge into signing the release for them. They are perfectly legal. Still after I teach you all we need to keep that skill under our hat. No sense giving away all our secrets."

The rest of the morning was spent, predictably in Harry's opinion, talking about Ligilimency and Occlumency and how to avoid being a victim of both. By breakfast time Harry had two branches of magic to teach the five in the room with him: Apperation and Occlumency.

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Harry mused that the others were picking up apperation fairly quickly after their one day of lessons. He did have to fix George up after he left his foot behind from lack of concentration. The grousome and painful scene sobered the rest up and real progress started to be made. Harry had fixed George up quickly explaining to the rest he had made sure to study how to correct splinching accidents before he ever tried.

As the morning came for them to leave for the World Cup came Harry found the hike to the portkey to be much easier this time around. It was obvious that Harry was getting himself into better shape. He would have to make sure he kept to his workouts, something he had not been doing since arriving at the Burrow. He and Cedric exchanged small talk as they left those of lesser in shape lagging behind.

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The scene was just how he remembered it. Magic folk from the world over were crowded into a too small open field. The Ministry employees were running around trying to stem the tide of blatent magical use and one even seemed to have taken to following around the muggle owner of the property and removing any instances of magic from his mind. Harry wondered how many times someone could be oblivated before perminate damage was done.

"We're over here children." Mr. Weasley yelled above the din while trying to round up all his wayward kids.

As they started walking to their camp site Harry moved to over hear Fred and George talking about their bets.

"Okay we've saved a hundred and twnety seven galleons. As soon as dad is starts trying to put the tent together we leave and find some place to make our bets." One of the twins whispered to the other. Of course Harry had overheard now that he was trying to listen into what they were saying.

"Agreed oh twin of mine. This should give us enough to start our own shop after graduation. I can't believe mum. We could have made a pretty sickle out of all those gags she ruined."

"All that time spent and she just goes and throws them out like trash. It took everything I had not to spell her face off. It might not have been a good thing for Harry to tell us we could use magic at home. If mum keeps this up I don't know if we will be able to hold back." The two twins nodded together.

"Well then you will just have to be more secretive then won't you." Harry stated stepping into the conversation. The twins jumped and reddened as they realized they had been caught. "You might just have to partner with someone she would never think of checking as well." Harry smiled a wicked grin none of his friends had ever seen before. He then pulled a rather large bag from the robes he was wearing. "I believe this could help you on your way to financial independence."

Inside the bag were all the Weezed Molly had collected before they had left. The twins stared in dumb shock for a second before two identical beaming smiles lit their faces.

"Brother of mine. I do believe our ickle Harrykins has a valid point."

"I agree. Mum wouldn't dare to even accuse a guest."

They turned to Harry and in unison as they were apt to do, "Thanks Harry. We'll have to do this more often."

Harry nodded. "Oh and if you want to get any money from your bets I would advise not going to Bagman. I overheard a conversation while in the Ministry that he was having all sorts of financial problems. He probably wouldn't be able to cover your bets if you won. I'd go to the goblins. They might not give you as good of odds but you know you will get any winnings from them." Harry looked to the twins seriously, letting them know he wasn't kidding around. "Also, put me down for a thousand galleons for Ireland winning but Krum catching the snitch. Oh and another thousand that Krum makes the Irish seeker plow into the ground two or more times." Harry removed two bulging money bags from the fold and handed them to the two shocked twins. "I would advise you bet the same way."

With that Harry left the twins to find the goblins he knew were taking bets.

Mr. Weasley was still trying to put the tent together when he returned and Hermione and Ron looked at their wits end at trying to help the older Weasley out. Ginny was already gone, looking for friends Harry assumed.

"Hey lets go take a look around. There's got to be tons of things to see with the Cup here." Ron said giving Mr. Weasley a look that Harry interpreted as 'get me the hell out of here mate'.

Harry and Hermione smiled and laughed as they walked through the crowds. Vendors for each team were selling their wears. Once again Harry bought each of his two best friends the omnioculars and a few other memoribilia.

After hours of walking around, seeing the sites, talking to friends or just goofing around in general, the Golden Griffindor Trio made their way back to the tents. It was getting dark after all and tomorrow would start bright and early.

As they relaxed inside the magically enhanced tent Hermione looked over to her dark haired friend. "Your different. You know that Harry. I've never had so much fun just walking around before. You seemed to drag us all over the place today."

Harry had expected this. He made the decision to be more open. Hopefully create more friendships and just to enjoy his time as much as he could. He knew what the future held and it would be dark. Why not use what time he could to have fun. To be the teenager he never was the first time around. "I made a decision this summer when I returned to the Dursley's. I've already told you some of the things I have done as a result of that decision. Another was to have as much fun as I can while still seriously study and train for the fights ahead. I have a feeling we aren't going to have too many more of these types of days before the bottom falls out."

Ron and Hermione nodded solomly. "Hey since when did you start using americanisms?" Hermione asked. Now that she thought of it Harry had been using a silghtly differant vocabulary then he had in the past.

Harry cursed himself silently. This would have to happen now of all times. It was impossible to revert to his old way of speaking simply because he couldn't remember that far back. Hell it was hard to remember how he had acted while he was this age Before.

"Don't know." Harry shrugged, not letting anything but confusion enter his expressions. "I've been reading a lot this summer. Mostly Dudley's old books he tossed in my room to get them out of his way. There is quite a library of fiction he has been gifted over the years. Most of the authors were americans I guess. I spent a lot of time reading Mark Twain. I guess I just picked some of it up."

Hermione's eyes danced as she thought about how much reading Harry must have done. "Oh I love Mark Twain. What book was it? What did you like best? Personally..." On and on she went and Harry happily discussed one of his favorite authors from Before. Ron excused himself early in the conversation. Literarly works were never his strong suit.

Harry eyes slowly fluttered open. At nearly the same instant his new water proof divers watch chimed the sixth hour. Whether or not the Before was a dream, it had drastically changed his sleep patterns. He couldn't sleep past six now if his life depended on it. It really didn't matter as he felt well rested. The nutrient potions he was still taking were probably helping that as his body was actually healthy now.

Fully awake Harry chugged his first dose of potions while everyone was asleep. He slipped on some work out clothes and left the tent.

The woods were peaceful at this time in the morning. The horizon was just starting to light up. The mist still clung to the ground. The world was peaceful and quiet. Something that in mere hours would cease to exist.

By seven Harry was walking back into the Weasley's tent. Sweat made his clothing stick to differant parts of his body. Even now no one was awake. Seeing a chance Harry removed his shrunken trunk from an overnight bag, resized it, and stepped into the last compartment.

By eight Harry came back out looking for all the world that he was ready to go back to bed.

"There you are mate. You had us worried that you ran off and got lost." Ron said as he moved the flap aside and entered their room.

"No, just getting my morning workout."

"If that's what you look like after working out you can count me out. You look exhausted."

Harry knew he did and he felt it as well. "Yea, well if you want to put some muscle on to your lanky frame I would suggest it. You just get exhausted for a bit after you finish but the rest of the day you feel great. Trust me, I've never felt better." Which too was true. It was amazing how stress relieving lifting weights could be. Not to mention spending ten minutes in front of the heavy bag, punching the living crap out of it.

"Well hurry and get cleaned up. Dad says were leaving in a few hours and you still need breakfast. Plus I want to go exploring again."

"Alright, just give me twenty minutes to get through with my yoga."

"Your Yoda?" Ron looked totally confused.

Harry burst out laughing thinking of the little green creature from Star Wars. He wasn't the only one who heard either as Hermione entered the room laughing so hard tears welled in her eyes.

"It's 'Yoga' Ron." She said between laughs. "It is an excersise that stretches the body and improves over all body and mind control. It is suppost to be very relaxing." She then turned an inquiring gaze to Harry. "Another thing you started this summer?"

"Yep." Harry grunted in the middle of his first pose. "It should really help in dueling not to mention reducing injuries."

"Do you think you could show me how to do it. Yoga is something that has always interested me but I never decided to do it. It does look rather interesting."

Ron looked between the two with mild disgust. Both caught the look.

"Sure 'Mione. As soon as I'm done I will get you the book. I'd let you look but I have birthday and christmas presents down there too and I don't want to ruin the surprise." Harry then shifted his gaze to Ron. Just before he spoke his back gave out a series of sharp cracks. "Oh that feels good." Harry moaned. Hermione looked a little green. "I won't force you to do this Ron. My guess is that before Halloween you will be begging me to help you get into shape. 'Mione and I will be leaving you in the dust. But you will have to do it by yourself as the two of us," Harry waved a hand at himself and best girl friend, "will be leagues ahead of you."

Ron looked uneasy for a bit. "Yea well it doesn't seem too important to me."

"Don't fool yourself." Harry snapped back, scaring his two friends somewhat. "The trianing I can give you will save your lives before this war is over. You have my word on that."

The piercing look he gave the other two spoke volumes. It was like he had seen it all before. Ron and Hermione nodded in silent contemplation and sat to watch Harry move through pose after pose.

It was a good thing this body was untrained in a way. It would have been hard explaining some of the expert poses he use to be able to do. It had taken years to train his body in flexibility and balance to do those. It would have been hard to explain it to his friends how he was able to suddenly do them.

On the way to the stands they had the inevitable run in with Malfoy. Harry had forgotten about the little ferret and as he continued to through insults Harry conjured a rather rude sign on his back, turned his hair a shocking pink and stuck his shoes to the floor. By the time he made it to his seat he had no shoes and a rather large green hat covering his pink hair. It did seem he had removed the sign though, but not before he offended someone judging by the red hand mark that resided on the side of his face.

The top box was a breath taking sight. It was really the highest and best placed seat in the house to watch quidditch. Already the Bulgarian, French and English ministers were there all talking to their aides. Harry had spent a great amount of time learning some of the more common languages Before.

He decided to make an impression.

"Good afternoon Minister." Harry said as he walked up to Fudge. The pompus man dropped his conversation turning his full attention to the newly arrived guest. A fake smile lit his face as he saw Harry.

"Harry my boy. How good to see you again. I didn't know I would be seeing you today."

"I came with Author Weasley. His son, Ron, and I are best friends." Harry figured it probably wouldn't hurt to try to build up the elder Weasley.

"Ah yes. Author is a good man."

"That he is Minister. And these gentlemen with you. Who might they be?"

"Yes, yes, pardon my oversight. They would love to meet you." Fudge took Harry by the shoulder and led him over to a rather sever and rotund man. "This is the Minister for Bulgaria. Minister this is Harry Potter. The one who slew the past Dark Lord."

The man turned his hawk eyes to Harry, sizing him up. Harry held the gaze unflintchingly. After a nod of approval he stuck his hand out to Harry. "A pleasure meeting you." He said in broken english.

"_The pleasure is all mine_." Harry replied in the man's native tongue. The conversations going on around them ceases and even his friends looked shocked hearing Harry speak another language. The surprised minister's face broke into a grin of apprecation.

"_You know my native tongue_?" The Bulgarian Minister asked.

"_I heard rummers of what is to take place this year at Hogwarts and thought it might be a good idea to learn as much as I could._" Harry replied but he purposely spoke brokenly as someone new to the language would. _"I'm afraid I have nearly exausted my knowledge of your noble language with our short conversation._" Harry forces himself to look embarassed and contrite.

The Bulgarian minister boomed out a laugh and clapped Harry on the back. "You speak quite well for a beginner and the effort is much appreciated. I will speak to Ingor to see if you could continue your lessons.

"That would be apreciated. Thank you Minister." Harry bowed slightly showing his respect then moved to the French minister preforming the same flattery as before and earning even more curious stares from those who knew him. Especially the Malfoys who had entered just as the show began.

"So you know what is to transpire at Hogwarts this year young Harry?" Fudge asked obviously overjoyed at the inroads Harry layed for him.

"Oh yes Minister."

"And how might I inquire as to how you found out? The event is suppose to be a secret after all. A surprise."

"My guess is that you or someone in the Ministry told Lucius here." Harry waved a hand in the elder Malfoy's general direction. He made sure to speak loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Undoubtedly he then told his son to allow him to have leverage over the other students who did not know yet. What he didn't expect was that Draco here has a problem keeping secrets. All the way here I could hear him telling anyone who would listen what was going to happen. He was obviously trying to impress some french girl who he was chatting up, trying to look important. I'm guessing he failed judging from the red hand print adonrning his cheek." No one seemed to catch the inconsitancies in his story. Harry then decided to drive another nail in to the Malfoy coffin. "You should hear him at school Minister. He constantly threatens others with his father's political athority."

Fudge turned livid eyes onto the Malfoys. "We will talk about this breach of Ministry silence back in the office Lucius. I would also recommend you bring your son to heel. I will not stand for students to be threatened in that way."

Lucius nodded then threw a furius glare at Draco. Harry smirked at both as he passed, though he doubted either saw as Lucius was currently berating his son quite severly and loudly. He was making even more of a fool of himself in front of some very important people.

As he moved back to his seat he noticed Winky and the invisible Crouch Jr. He made sure to have his wand secured in his holster. He had however filched Draco's wand and had it sticking out of his back pocket as he sat directly in front of the deatheater. He had to ensure things stayed the same path. For now at least.

"Not now." Harry said in way of an explanation when he was confronted by his friends. "It was something I learned of during my little trip this summer. I'll tell you more later." They nodded seemingly satisfied that they would get the rest of the story later.

The rest of the game went the same as before. Harry recorded the whole thing on his omnioculars for future perusal. He laughed until he cried when Ron nearly jumped off the railing trying to impress the veela. It took both he and a cross Hermione to pull him back down. It was then he felt the wand in his back pocket removed. He turned around to look but only saw a worrying Winky. Harry smirked inside, everything was going according to plan.

As the lepricans threw gold Harry told those around him that no matter how much they pocketed it would disappear in a few days. Dissapointed, those around him groaned and dropped the coins back to the earth.

Krum again out flew the Irish seeker, causing him to plow into the ground twice in under ten minutes. The twins gave him a queer look only to receive a smirk back. Over all the game was rather short for a professional quidditch match. Like Harry had predicted Irland won after Krum caught the snitch and Harry, Ron & Hermione were able to have both entire teams sign posters they had bought prior.

Talk that night in the tent was all quidditch. It seemed even Hermione forgot about Harry's performance before the game much to his releif. As the night lengthened the Weasley's moved off to bed, one by one. Harry, though, stayed awake planning. He knew that in just a few hours the deatheaters would start their attack. It pained Harry that he wasn't going to be joining in the counter offensive but he knew if he was able to bring down even a few of the deatheaters it would look incredibly suspicious.

'One good thing about all this is that I will be able to get another invisibility cloak. I should probably hire Winky tonight as well.'

Sure enough events occured exactly the same way they had before. The deatheaters attacked. Mr. Weasley, Bill and Charlie went to help with the resistance. The twins and Ginny were separated from Harry, Ron and Hermione. Then soon enough the three arrived in a rather familiar clearing.

"Wands out you recon?" Ron asked as he pulled his own out of the sheath Harry had givin him.

Hermione nodded and did the same. Harry kept his where it was. A disembodied voice filled the clearing.

"MOSMORDRE!" The Dark Mark had been cast once again.

It only took seconds before the woods were filled with the cracks of apperation.

"DOWN!" Harry shouted as he pulled his friends to the ground. Stunners flew from every angle above their heads then continued on into the woods.

"STOP, STOP, that is my son!" Author Weasley shouted as he ran to the three on the ground.

They all sat up more shocked than hurt.

"What is the meaning of this..." And with that the entire episode happened just like it did Before. Crouch accusing them then being put in his place. Winky was again found. This time though it was with another wand. Again Winky was given clothes and the poor elf just colapsed in saddness. This time though the wand was identified as Draco's and the prior incantatum revieled numerous spells that were considered the dark arts and not taught in Hogwarts or at home to one so young. Harry again smirked thinking of how much trouble the Malfoys were in for once they found them. Draco especially since he was now linked to using dark arts and casting the Dark Mark. As the others left Harry waved his wand and a shiny invisibility cloak flew into his hands with no one being the wiser. He then walked over to the crying Winky.

"Winky?" The little creature looked up with saddened eyes. "Winky I know of a few places you could work. It would depend on if you wanted to continue to be free or if you rather be bound to a family again."

"But Winky is discrace to house elfs. She is being given clothes."

"I know you didn't do anything Winky. After all how would you have gotten Draco's wand. You were probably just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Like we were." Harry said as he gestured to his friends. "What Mr. Crouch did was wrong Winky. He was upset and took it out on you since he had no other outlet. I know you love the Crouch family but until Mr. Crouch comes to his senses you need some place to stay."

The elf looked at Harry with wide eyes. "You is beleiveing Winky?"

"Yes Winky I believe you. I know the Truth." He put specific enficis on the word.

The elf's eyes widened in shock and fear.

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. I swear." Harry whispered. "So what would you rather like in the time being? To be a free elf and you could work at Hogwarts. There are alway plenty of things to do there. Or you could come work with me and be bound to the Potter family. I already have one elf, Dobby, and although I don't have much for you to do now I'm sure we could find something to keep you busy. Plus if Mr. Crouch wants you back at some point I will be more than happy to release my bonds on you and you could go back to them if you'd like."

That night Harry bound another elf to his family much to Hermione's chagrin.

A/N: I know a lot of people like this fic but to tell everyone the truth it is on the very back burner. There will be tons of cliches and what not. I even tampered with the idea of abandonment because of it's lack of originality. I will try to plod though it though.

Here is a 22 page honker of a chapter and I have put down some thoughts about what I want to do for the next chapter. Only expect this to be a ten or less chapter story. I do hope you enjoy it.

Also, I'm not even going to attempt to have a beta go over this story so expect spelling a grammer errors from here on out. Lady Vamp is does exellent work but she is out of the country for the next month or so. Don't expect any of my other fics to be updated in that time. This fic was just thought up after reading a truly horrid back in time fic and I decided I could write a better fic in my spare time than that person did. Have fun reading.


	3. Chapter 3

After the trip home the week passed in a blur of activity and training. Occlumency and apperation were among the top two priorities. By the time September first rolled around they could each apperated, though rather noisily, and had the beginnings of shields starting. Unfortunately it would take another month or so to be able to keep out Snape's and Dumbledore's passive legilimency attacks.

The trip to the train was a lesson in patience for Harry who had all his things packed the night before. When they did manage to get to the platform Harry had to pull Ginny along with him and found a compartment that Neville and Luna were apt to ride in. He was going to try forging their friendships early. After the initial conversation they all settled in for the ride.

Ron and Neville were in a heated game of wizard chess while Ginny was reading the Quibbler with Luna. Harry and Hermione were leaning on each other's shoulder while reading. Harry twirling his wand in his fingers. I was a habit he pick up from Riddle. He was just about to turn the page when the compartment door slammed open with enough force to shatter the glass window.

"Your going to pay for what you did to me and my family Potter!" Draco hissed, wand pointed directly between Harry's eyes. As alway Crabbe and Goyle were flanking their leader. A few other Slytherins too came to see the 'Great Harry Potter' being put in his place. "Do you have any idea the trouble your comments caused my family. I am a Malfoy and our name demands respect!"

"Go away Malfoy before you embarrass yourself in front of all these people. This is your only warning." Harry calmly replied not even looking up from the book he was reading.

"You think you're so great don't you Potter. Like you..."

"No Malfoy I don't." Harry calmly put the book down and focused his would be attacker. "Personally I don't like the fame or want it. I'd be more than happy to give it to you but seeing that your father spent those years licking Voldemort's boots and your mother too busy bending over for any death eater she was told to, it would have been rather difficult to for them to have done what was right." Harry focused slightly behind Draco to the other Slytherins. "I don't know why you all put up with this buffoon. He acts more like a Gryffindor than a Slytherin, constantly spewing his allegiance to Voldemort with no regards for slyness or secrecy. Personally I don't have a problem with any of the other Slytherins and wouldn't mind sitting down to chat with some of you sooner or later to get to know you better. I'm always willing to have more people I can call a friend."

Everyone in the compartment was looking at Harry strangely. He was really different this year. Draco looked like he was about to have a stroke, his face nearly as red as Ginny's hair. But some of the Slytherins in the back seemed to really be thinking Harry's statement over.

It seemed that Draco couldn't take it any longer thought. Twisting his wand he shouted "VENIS CARDO!". A twisting sphere of black magic shot from the tip of the wand, strait at Harry.

Quicker than anyone should be able to move Harry moved to defend. He never thought Malfoy would dare use such a lethal curse. Especially in front of so many others. Instinctively knowing he couldn't just dodge for fear of the curse hitting someone else Harry's wand seemed to just appear in his hand. An instant later a silver prism of magic absorbed the curse making the silver shield solidify more before Harry dropped it and went on the offensive.

Harry's face was contorted in feral anger and before Malfoy could even move Harry had decked him. The uppercut landing just under his jaw, lifting off the ground, where he landed on his back. He didn't stop as a swift side kick pushed Goyle's knee the wrong way. The ape collapsed, screaming in pain. Without stopping Harry landed a chop to Crab's neck. The other body guard dropped to the floor choking and holding his neck.

"Envenerate" Harry spat. The others moved away as they realized Harry wasn't done with Malfoy just yet. "If you ever try something like that again I will make you beg for death." Harry flicked his wand mumbling an unintelligible word and Draco started screaming and trashing on the ground. Harry waited until the boy had clawed a sufficient amount of skin off himself before ending the curse.

"Choose who you follow wisely." Harry intoned to the now packed hallway. "I can be a great friend but I make a terrible enemy."

With that he turned back into his compartment, shutting the door behind him.

Once he had sat back down he recovered his book and tried to start reading it again. He knew everyone was looking at him but he really didn't want to get into it now. He had nearly snapped seeing the curse that the Malfoy's seemed to love using. Perhaps hundreds of souls perished because of that family and that curse.

"Are you alright Harry?" Ginny asked nervously.

Harry looked up at them and sighed. It was time to spill. "Do any of you know what that spell was Malfoy shot at me?" No one knew. Not even Hermione. "Venis Cardo constricts the veins and arteries around the heart slowly and painfully. Eventually the veins are ripped from your heart causing you to die slowly of internal bleeding. It was mentioned in one of the books I bought this summer. It was a favorite of one of Voldemort's top death eaters in the first war. If I had to guess, I would bet that person was one Lucius Malfoy seeing as his son seemed to wield the same curse so easily."

The statement shocked the others at how lethal the curse was. They realized why Harry became so furious now. Draco tried to kill him.

"What was that curse you put on Malfoy there at the end?" Ron asked

"He felt like his body was on fire and melting. It's a non-lethal submission curse used by aurors. I got it on mine and Dobby's trip this summer."

The others nodded, relaxing that Harry hadn't tried to kill Malfoy or use and unforgivable like it had seemed.

"Did that yogo stuff teach you how to fight like that?" Ron again asked.

Harry and Hermione laughed, breaking the tension in the compartment. "Yoga, Ron, yoga. And no. Those skills are thanks to Dudley's new video game." At the blank looks of most of the pure-bloods Harry rolled his eyes and continued. "I'll tell you later. Needless to say I saw the move the character was using and decided to research it a little. The muggles have this thing called the internet that allows people to store information and retrieve it from all over the world. I simply started looking up ways of fighting and came across hundreds of different styles. Since I only really wanted to learn to bring someone down the fastest and most painful way possible I found things on pressure points and how much force is required to break bones and where the body is most fragile. The punch I hit Malfoy with knocked him out. It's hard to land one of those when someone is ready but I was able to catch that rat by surprise. It also only takes something like ten pounds of pressure to break a knee if you kick it strait back. Then if you chop someone's throat you cause them to choke. If you do it hard enough you can even kill them. I'm sure Crab will be back to his grunting self in a few hours."

The others were hanging on his every word and kept asking questions. Even Hermione seemed to be interested in the conversation.

Finally the train came to a halt and the students disembarked. Harry, Neville and Luna all gave a passing glance at the leathery winged horses pulling the carriages. They made it into the entrance hall just as the rain started to fall and they all went to sit at Gryffindor table, ready for the feast.

The sorting went like usual and Harry assumed it was the same as Before. He really couldn't remember even with his occlumency. Mad-eye again barged into the hall half way though dinner so Harry thought things were going as planned. After the desserts were finished Dumbledore stood up. Harry still had to keep himself from killing the man where he sat. His murder of Amy was still fresh in his mind.

"Welcome all, young and tall, to another year at Hogwarts. Before I allow you to go to bed please listen to the following announcements. The Forbidden Forest is just that, forbidden. No magic is to be used in the halls and a list of banned items is attached to Mr. Filch's door.

"Also, Hogwarts this year will be playing host for the Tri-Wizard tournament. We along with Beaubaton and Durmstrang will each have one student from our schools entered. Eternal glory awaits the winner.

"However, due the the dangerous nature of this contest only those of sixteen and older will be permitted to enter."

The hall exploded in angered shouts. Harry just sat and watched the others be idiots. He did have to admit Dumbledore was pretty stupid to hype it all up as he did then crush the hope of nearly three quarters of the student population.

The old man held up his hands for silence and the hall quieted. "These restrictions have been put in place because of the skill and magical level involved in the contest. Those any younger would not have the needed training to ensure their survival during the tasks.

"The other two schools will be arriving the first of November and please be your most courteous to our guests. Now off you go. Classes start tomorrow so get a good night rest."

With that the students started to make their way to their own dormitories for a good night's rest With one exception.

"Mr. Potter, would you please stay behind. Several of the teachers need to speak with you."

Harry gritted his teeth together at the old man's voice, but merely stopped and turned back to the three waiting professors.

After the hall cleared Dumbledore started his interrogation.

"Some very serious charges have been filed against you Harry. Young Mr. Malfoy had to be sedated and carried to the hospital wing along with his two friends Mr. Crab and Mr. Goyle I believe. As such you are to be given detention with Professor Snape until the start of the first of November. You are very lucky not be be expelled after what you have done. Do I make myself clear?"

Snape's eyes glittered with malicious glee and a dark smirk was fully formed on his lips. McGonagall merely pressed her thin lips together in a show of anger and intimidation.

Harry merely quirked an eyebrow before responding. "No I don't believe I will. Now if I may leave I wish to get to bed for tomorrow."

Before Harry was even able to turn around Snape exploded into his usual slander of him and his parents. Harry tolerated nearly five seconds of it before he broke the tirade. The other two professors were still too shocked to respond. Neither of them had ever had a student refuse a detention as bluntly as Harry just had.

"You will desist your slander of my family Snape. Any further comment directed either at myself or my parents will cause me to not only write to the Board of Governors for your removal but also to the Minister himself. You have spent the last ten years causing three quarters of the graduates to hate you. How much do you think it would take to have you removed from your position."

"You can not do that Harry." Dumbledore stated. "Professor Snape is needed here in Hogwarts for reasons you simply can not fathom at this time."

"Oh really?" Harry interrupted. This time shocking even Snape with the venom behind the words. "I would think it has to do with that tattoo he has on his left forearm. Or the fact that he says he is your spy within the death eater ranks. Do you really think that will hold much water with the wizarding public. It would only take one letter to the Prophet. I wonder how many parents would remove their children and call up for charges on child endangerment for forcing them to learn from a death eater who only says he's returned to the light." Harry paused to regain his breath and turned to Snape. "Tell me Snivellus, " Harry spat. Snapes face drained of color. "How many people did you kill in the last war, how many woman and children did you rape, how many lives did you destroy... all for the greater good of course." Harry finished with a pretty good imitation of Dumbledore. "Do you really think the public will show you mercy? Dumbledore's word might have kept you from going to prison the first time but if you so much as look at me or my friends in the wrong way I will make sure you are in a world of pain before the rest of this world stones you to death, Death eater"

Harry was breathing heavily as he finished his monologue. Snape's face had turned a sickly white with a ting a green around the edges. It was most likely due to the fact that he realized Harry was speaking the entire truth. McGonagall still looked stricken that Harry would have said such a thing. It was Dumbledore however that looked like he was ready to blow his top.

"I simply will never allow you to do that Harry!" The old man fumed. "Too much is at risk for you to hold such a petty grudge and attempt to ruin a man's life. I am sorry to have to do this but..."

"If you even think of obliviating me it will only make things worse. You really didn't think I would have told you all that without having a back up plan of some kind." Harry looked rather smug with himself. "I have... acquaintances... outside these walls waiting to hear from me tonight. If I don't put certain things in the letter... encrypted things... by tomorrow morning you can expect a lynch mob to take away your dear professor."

"You are ruining years worth of work Harry and condemning a man to death. Is that what you want? You know Voldemort is not dead and just waiting to come back. Are you willing to ruin any chance we might have against him?"

"Your dog is to act like a real professor for once in his life. You should have never offered him the job if he had no intention of teaching and treating his students with respect. Every class I have to sit with him he does nothing but ridicule my family and let his pet Slytherins sabotage other's potions. He's lucky no one has died in the explosions yet. Nearly every class he calls Hermione a 'mudblood'. Tell me, is that conduct becoming a professor. Don't even get me started on what he calls the Weasley's. So to answer your question, I really don't give a damn if he lives of dies. Personally I would rather him dead and rotting in hell where he belongs. Don't try me on this." Harry looked directly into Dumbledore's eyes hoping to make him see his own resolve. "You will lose. That I can promise you."

The room was deathly quiet for a few minutes before the Supreme Mugwump inclined his head. "Very well Harry. I will ensure Professor Snape's conduct is becoming a member of the Hogwart's staff. However there is still the issue of your punishment regarding what you did to young Mr. Malfoy."

"Oh," Harry's asked surprised, "I thought we had this figured out. I'm not going to any detentions regarding this."

"And why is that Harry." Dumbledore's grandfatherly tone was back.

"First is because the school year had yet to start when the incident occurred. Next is because you hold no jurisdiction for the goings on during our ride one the Express. It is a rail that is maintained by the Ministry and does not belong to Hogwarts though it is traditional to ride to and from the castle. Therefore, any penalties or laws would be dealt with though the Ministry. Since I'm guessing the extent of your in depth investigation was to have Snape swoop up to you and start yelling about how I had cursed Malfoy and demand my expulsion." Dumbledore and McGonagall blushed at this as it was nearly exactly what happened. "I doubt you have any idea of the circumstances leading up to the cursing. Allow me to fill you in and if you want I have five witnesses more than willing to verify my story."

With that Harry told the story. "...So Malfoy then looses it and tries to curse me with 'venis cardio'. He got the spell perfect and I know exactly what would have happened to me if the spell would have hit. Luckily I was able to shield everyone from it. Then I punched Malfoy, knocking him out. Goyle attacked me. I broke his knee. Crabe attacked and I punched him in the throat. I woke Malfoy up and told him if he ever tried that again I would kill him. I then cast an auror submission spell. Malfoy would have felt as though his body was on fire and melting. He did the physical harm to himself."

McGonagall was red with fury by the end at both Harry and Malfoy. It was Dumbledore though who surprised Harry. "Be that as it may Harry. I am very disappointed in you for you action. I must insist..."

Harry snorted. "I don't care how much you insist. If you want to push this then do it though the Ministry. If you plan on doing that you will have to have a number of laws overturned to bring me any sort of punishment. Draco however will most likely be put in prison and his father, another death eater, will likely put his full weight and money behind me to keep himself and his son out of even more trouble."

"I have had enough Mr. Potter! I can not believe you are sitting here threatening member of the staff." McGonagall burst.

"Don't even try me woman!" Harry yelled right back. "You sat there year after year allowing that death eater to treat children he was suppose to be teaching like utter shit. How many lives have you ruined because the students you have sworn to protect and nurture couldn't or simply refused to take NEWT potions with such a bigoted fool." Harry spat. "You just sat back and let it happen. Probably because some where along the line Dumbledore told you it was for the greater good and like the good sheep you are you sat back and watched it happen. Just like when I was dropped off at Privet Drive. Because of your cowardice I was subjected to ten years of abuse and neglect. So don't even try scolding me woman!"

Harry glared at the three elders. He was pissed and not only at them but himself as well. He had let out way too much information and after the shock wore off he was sure they would be wondering where he had learned all this from. Without waiting for permission, Harry turned on his heel and swept from the room, robes billowing behind him much like a certain dungeon bat. It was a very impressive site and the three professors couldn't help but feel like they had been the students being reprimanded.

Somehow Harry had managed to glare his way into the common room since he didn't know the password. It might have been that he was prepared to turn the portrait into kindling and burn it in the fire or maybe the glowing green eyes. It didn't matter because the Fat Lady had merely opened the frame and then fled.

The dying fire seemed to hypnotize Harry as he stared into it's depths. The anger he felt for himself faded as a plausible story concocted it's self in his head to cover his tracks. The anger at the professors faded as well, pushed to the back of his mind. He knew he was going to have to control his temper better around them and he would from now on. Hopefully they would come to believe he was just tired and still a bit off with almost having been killed.

Some good things came from it though. He had warned them about Snape. They didn't need to know Harry was going to kill the bastard some time this year or next anyway. He also had managed to get out of trouble with causing even more to Malfoy. The little ferret would be livid to know that any action taken against Harry would only hurt him more. It wouldn't stop him from trying to cause more trouble though and Harry was reluctant to exterminate the Malfoy line before his sixth year. If he was able to keep the major events the same he would be happy. That was his one advantage right now and he knew it well. To change too much would remove that advantage.

"Plus," Harry murmured into the flame, "Crouch was the second best Defense teacher we ever had. Best keep him." With that Harry, sleepily, moved up the stairs and fell onto his bed, asleep.

"So, what does our schedule look like?" Harry said as he slipped into a space between Ron and Hermione and started loading a plate full of food.

"Here." Ron handed a folded piece of parchment to his friend. "I think we have Creatures first with Hagrid. It ought to be fun this year with the thing they bring in for the tournament. After that, don't know.

"Divination Ron. You two have divination while I go to Runes." Hermione supplied without looking up from her book.

Harry really didn't want to spend any more time than necessary with that old fraud Trelany. "Hey, Mione, what do you do in Runes. I mean is it practical in the real world?" he asked. Really, Harry didn't know. He had spent so much of his time studying spells, both light and dark, Before just to be able to survive. Then any free time was spent working on alchemy. He only had a very base knowledge in runes that he and Remus had used while studying rituals. He knew they could be a very useful fighting tool. Runic wards were much stronger than spell based and much harder to take down.

"Oh yes." the girl put the book down. "I know it is needed for any of the Gringotts jobs, especially a curse breaker like Bill. Any type of wizarding archaeologist as well. More practical though is the field of warding. Runes can make wand cast wards many times stronger and can even make their own wards that are nearly unbreakable. The darker aspects of them are rituals and they can be used to literally curse a person or family line. I find it much more useful than divination."

Harry nodded. He had pretty much made up his mind to drop divination anyway. "What about Arithmancy?"

"Well that is really the math involved with how a spell works. If you wanted to be a spell creator or possibly an unspeakable I'm sure it would be a requirement. As an auror it would be good to know as well to possibly make your own spells that could only be reversed by you. But that is after you have mastered it."

Harry nodded. It didn't seem as Arithmancy would help him much in the long run. Well maybe to help destroy the horcruxes and save the artifact itself, but it seemed like an awful amount of work for such a narrow field. "Thanks Mione, I think I'm going to drop Divination. The less time I have someone predicting my death the better. I think runes would be fun though. I can see myself doing something like Bill after I graduate. I don't think I could just sit behind a desk all day doing paperwork. After the life I've led it would be just way too boring."

Those around Harry laughed knowing what he was talking about.

"But Harry, it's an easy class. You can't drop it." Ron whined. "Who will fake the homework with me if you do?"

"That's just it Ron. I don't want to have to fake homework. What do you think will happen when we take our OWLs or NEWTs. Those examiners will probably be real Seers, people that will know what they are doing. We'd fail anyway so what's the use. Plus what the hell can divination do for us after we get out of school? I can't really think of anything. Personally I don't believe our futures are set in stone. That we have a certain fate that is impossible to escape from. I refuse to believe that. We all have free will for a reason and there is a reason the one spell that can take that away from an individual is considered an unforgivable."

Harry looked over to one of his best friends. "Ron, when I came here I promised myself I would be the best wizard to walk these halls ever. I would become powerful and know magics that others only dreamed of. It only took a few months for me to fail. Think of all the time we've wasted away doing stupid things. I'm not saying don't have any fun, but we have an ability nearly every muggle out there would give anything for. And what do we do with that ability? We learn to turn rats into goblets. How to look at tea dregs and predict a foggy future. How to mix certain things and produce a potion to change hair color or make someone babble nonsense. Hell the only time I've learned anything useful in Defense was with Moony. The rest of the time was wasted. Do you get what I'm saying? We are wizards and witches." Harry whispered intently. Nearly half the Gryffindors listened with rapt attention along with many Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. His voice was mesmerizing and seemed to draw all those around to his point of view. "We have powers others can't even fathom and we waste them away with magic to do our dirty dishes and cloths. Even muggles have created machines to do that for them. We have the ability to change the very nature of the universe around us but we piss it away like it's not anything amazing. Just think of all the amazing things magic creates. Flammel and the Stone giving ever-lasting life. Dragons which can breath fire. Phoenixes who's mere voice can lift the hearts of the good and put the fear of death into it's opposition. Rituals that can transform our minds and bodies into the perfect being. Spells to treat the most heavily injured person and bring them back from the brink of death." Harry stopped and shook his head in disappointment. The hall had long ago quieted. Harry's voice seemed hypnotic as it drifted to every ear in the room, exciting some, worrying others. "Just think about the gift we have been given. We owe it not only to ourselves but to the Powers that gave us this gift to live up to our very highest potential."

Harry slipped from his chair and moved to the head table. Once he arrived in front of his head of house he again spoke. "Professor McGonagall, I wish to drop Divination and take up the study of Runes. I will do my best to ensure I get up to speed quickly."

The stern witch, still seemingly under the spell of the young man's voice from earlier, could only nod her head in acceptance. She received a crooked smile as a result and nearly smiled herself at the the happy, passionate, young man before her. Many times had she heard lectures of the importance of magic but none had been done with the intensity Harry had just used. She knew then he would grow into a leader, a very powerful one.

Dumbledore watched with guarded eyes as Harry slid out the door to the Great Hall on the way to his first class with his friends following behind him. On the outside he seemed calm but inside he was nervous and fearful. Harry sounded very much like a young Riddle who had lived in this very castle more then fifty years prior. The passion was the same. To become the best they could be and both had nearly unlimited potential. The old man didn't even think Tom could have produced a full corporal patronus at thirteen. He vowed he would keep a closer eye on Harry from now on. All his plans, years worth, hinged on his ability to control the child of prophesy. He would not allow all those years of planning to be for naught.

Harry sped down the halls of Hogwarts on his way to his first Ancient Runes class. Hermoine was slightly ahead of him leading the way and both were late after having to run all the way from the far side of the castle grounds. It had been an interesting class if somewhat trying. The Screwts, half crab, half scorpion with something else thrown in there for good measure, were no more than the size of a galleon. During the entire class they had tried to find a food the things would eat with no avail though. Harry knew he had done the same thing Before but for the life of him he couldn't remember what the things had eaten. He did however remember the giant thing that he had met in the maze during the last task. Merlin only knew how big they would end up getting. His mind flashed back to a maze with one nearly as large as he was blocking the way. Harry shivered. Maybe he should just kill them all now.

"Good morning class. As you should recall from last year I am Professor Vector." The tall, skinny and completely lust worthy teacher listed off. Harry had often wondered what the hottest teacher had taught and now he knew. "We have been gifted a new student this year. It seems Professor McGonagall deemed Mr. Potter worthy of entering this class after a years absence."

Okay, so maybe she is a little milfed... miffed at having to take him without being asked. 'Damn Potter start using the correct head.'

"Tell me Mr. Potter why you choose now to attend this class and why I should let you stay? Every other student here is already a year ahead of you. Why should we allow you to hold us back?"

Harry bristled slightly at the condescending tone of voice.

"Because _Maddam_, I find this subject much more fulfilling than listening to that fraud of a divination professor constantly predict my death. I am interested in warding or curse breaking as a career choice and know this is a requirement for those fields of study."

"And why Mr. Potter did you not think of that last year?"

"Because," Harry stated in a icy tone. If she was going to disrespect him, he would do the same. "any culture that would have a child at the age of barely thirteen make a choice of a career that he would spend the rest of his life in is not a culture I would want to be a part of."

Vector blinked, shocked at the tone of voice and the direct answer. She tried hard to swallow the lump in her throat and managed after the third time. She knew Harry Potter was powerful and she just realized how bad of an idea it would be to get on his bad side as the killing curse green in his eyes seemed to flash. Plus the not so subtle threat given would have most of the wizarding world after her blood.

"Very well Mr. Potter." She really tried to keep the waiver out of her voice and she damn near did too. "Do not take our valuable time asking questions you should have learned last year. You will take two exams at the end of the year showing you know the material sufficiently."

"Now class who can tell me what this symbol means and why it is so important regarding Lea Lines?"

The lecture continued and Harry absorbed the information like a sponge all the while knowing his first few months back at Hogwarts would be some of the busiest and he ever had. Luckily he was already friends with Hermione. She would at least be able to show him around the library more. He really couldn't believe he had spent three years in the school in this time and still didn't know anything about the library.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

The first two months of schooling passed in a blur of hard studying for Harry. He did however manage to condense a years worth of Ancient Runes into that short time. For some reason the subject fascinated him even more than learning defensive and offensive spells. It was one of the few classes he was able to absorb the material after reading through it only once.

The only consequence of changing courses was that his plans had been pushed to the side for the time being and Harry wasn't sure that was a bad thing. He knew that he was still too young to really preform any of the rituals he had done in his prior life and now that he knew Runes better he felt that he would get a better result from said rituals and many he was thinking of replacing with another, harder and more dangerous, variant than he had done before. It also kept him out of trouble. He had been studying so hard, using his work ethic from Before, that he had no time to sneak out after curfew. And the threat of having to spend a few hours of precious study time in detention kept his mouth shut and temper tampered during times he was in the presence of those he still loathed. All in all it had been most advantageous.

Dumbledore had given Harry a wide berth seemingly knowing that he had done something to earn the boy's ire. The old mage still seemed confused by the anger directed at him and some of his staff. It seemed he couldn't understand what Harry knew that would make him go to such extremes as ruining another's life.

McGonagall seemed to forget about his back talking and threatening after his first transfiguration class. Harry decided to take a small break from his studying and leaned back against the soft sofa and relax his eyes for a bit as he remembered that day.

"This year will start your transition from learning how to transfigure items into actually learning the art of transfiguration. In years prior we have been working on technique, focus, and actual spell work. Those who have the aptitude for this subject will find that they have no real need for the first or third. Animagus transformations, which is considered the height of transfiguration, only needs focus and the feel of your own magic. This goes to show that wand techniques and actual spells are not needed for this subject."

Harry knew all this already. After all, Before he had been able to cast spells with little more than a gesture with his wand. Transfiguration, Charms and Defense he was nearly perfect at. He did find that the more difficult and powerful the magic the harder this was. Of course that meant absolutely nothing to him now as even though he already knew the spells and what they would do, he still needed to familiarize his body with the magic.

Harry had finally figured out what to compare his predicament to. He was like Hermione in a way. It was like he had read all the information in books but had yet to transfer that knowledge to practical use. So even though he already knew the spells and the magic he still needed to 'learn' to use it. Harry broke his silent contemplation and focused his attention back on his professor.

"...process would be turning an animate object into an inanimate object. After we have a firm grasp on this we will move to animate to animate. This will most likely take up the remainder of the year. In fifth year, your OWL year, we will learn to transfigure inanimate objects into animate, seemingly living, creatures. The following years will be spent on human and self transfiguration then conjuration. Both are extremely difficult and are only taught to those who have passed their OWLs with an E or above.

"Now, please come up to the front and take a worm from the jar. We are to practice the spell you were to have been reading at the beginning of class."

After retrieving his worm Harry watched it. He already knew that the easiest of this type of magic was to use a creature with very little self awareness and an invertebrate. The smaller and less complex the easier.

He watched as Hermione glared at Pavarti and Lavander as they screeched every time their worms moved. He couldn't hold back the chuckle after Ron started. It really was ridicules to act so girly.

"Attention class." McGonagall gathered all eyes to herself once more. "You are to use the information from your text to transfigure your worm into an item of your choice. Remember, if you are trying to make an item larger than the mass of the worm you will have a more difficult time."

That information struck a cord with Harry and by the look on her face it did with Hermione as well. The two looked at each other knowing the same thing was racing though both their minds. Hermione was the one to act on it.

"Excuse me, Professor McGonagall?"

"Yes Ms. Granger?"

"Why would it be more difficult to transfigure the worm into something larger. I have never heard of that before." Harry nodded his head from beside her to let the teacher know he was thinking the same thing. Even Before he had never heard of that.

"That is a discussion for another day Ms. Granger. It will likely take an entire period to cover the subject and field the questions. For now just concentrate on your worm please."

Hermione nodded and she and Harry got back to work. Harry's mind was working though. Before the subject had never been brought back up, or even brought up in the first place. Either that or he had been absent that day. That didn't make sense though, wouldn't have one of his friends said something about it.

"Mr. Potter! Please bring your head from the clouds and start your work. Your worm has nearly escaped."

Harry looked at his desk and found that his worm had been making a bid for freedom and had nearly made it off the side of his desk. Harry grabbed the worm, placing back in the middle of the work station and gave a sheepish grin toward his teacher.

"Sorry Professor. I was just thinking."

"That much was obvious. Now please get to work."

"Yes ma'am."

Harry thought for a little longer of what he would like to transfigure his worm into. He knew the act of transfiguration itself would forever change the molecules in the worm's body. Something he had picked up from a muggle physics book he read once. Only the counter to the spell would make the magic reverse. Otherwise it would stay the same forever.

It didn't take long to disregard changing it into anything normal. He was taking the life of the creature since he wasn't going to be changing it back and from the amount of worms still in the jar he doubted McGonagall would waste her time changing it back. That brought up another question that had no answer. What happened to the life and soul of the being transfigured. Did the item retain the soul or essence of the being and if it didn't what happened to it and how was it brought back when the transfiguration was reversed.

Harry forcefully shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts. This was a question for later on. He really doubted that anyone would be able to answer him though.

Thinking briefly his mind jumped to a ring he had once seen in a store window. It hadn't even been magical but it reminded him of his family. One of the things he had found out from Before was that both his mother and father had deep roots in the Celtic lifestyle and beliefs. The ring was a plain silver band with different celtic runes etched into it and all connected by a celtic weave of some kind. He never found out what the runes meant and never went back to buy that ring. It was something he had always regretted.

Studying the worm intensely and blocking out the shouts of spells from other students, Harry sank into his psyche, bringing a perfect representation of the ring into his mind. He wanted it to be special though. To be one of a kind. Without his conscious though his mind altered the image slightly. The thick band became a sparkling white and the inside had an engraving on it. The change was so sudden that the young man couldn't stop the soft mummer of his incantation and he wouldn't have anyway with how beautiful the ring now looked.

Nothing happened. The worm remained the same. There was no flash of magic. All eyes however were turned to Harry as if by their own violation. Harry himself was in a sort of trance. All of this lasted only seconds before the air around Harry grew heavy and visible ripples of magic formed around the young man. Then as if waiting for some silent command the magic condensed and rocketed toward the worm only inches from the end of the wand.

The white beam instantly set to work and the living worm changed and flowed slowly into a brilliant white band. It took a surprisingly large amount of the translucent magic that was flowing around Harry to do so as well. After the band finished runes etched with a golden light formed in the band sucking in even more of the visible magic.

Hermione and Ron had been pushed away by some invisible force and no one was moving in the room, so entranced by what was happening.

Finally the golden etching finished and a silver light emanated from the band. Slowly a celtic braid etched itself into the band connecting all the runes together. The visible magic was sucked into the band as the last of the etching was made. Then, the ring floated in the air, the inside of the band started to engrave itself. Red light burned from the neat script as it looked like a spiritual hand wrote the words.

As the amazing display of magic ceased, the ring floated softly onto the desk. The golden light faded from the runes as did the silver from the braid, turning the ring back into it's brilliant white. The last thing Harry saw as his vision faded were the red glowing words etched into the interior of the band.

'We will always love you our son. Love Mum and Dad'

Before it too faded back to white and Harry finally gave into darkness.

From what Ron and Hermione told him afterward it took a good minute for people to come out of their state of shock. It seemed Malfoy was the first and with the little ferret growing up in a magical household he knew the value of what Harry had just created. Before anyone could stop him he had reached over to grab the ring, a taunt already forming on his lips.

The words never came however as when he touched the ring a tortured scream tore from his mouth and a gold and silver light shown though the part of his fingers. The pained scream didn't stop until the white haired child had passed out from the pain, soiling his robes in the process.

That had been all it took to snap the spell on McGonagall. She quickly took charge. Harry and Malfoy where rushed to the hospital wing. The ring was levitated to the stand beside Harry's bed. Harry had found that the Headmaster had tried to touch the item but he too felt like his blood was on fire from the contact though it had not been as severe as it had been for Draco.

The next morning Harry had woken up and Maddam Pomphrey had run thirty minutes worth of tests on him. He had been magically exhausted, though not severely so. The amount of magic used to make the ring was astounding she had said and it took nearly every bit of energy he had. She was still confused though. The amount of magic used during the spell had been felt all over the castle even by the students. It was way more than any fourteen year old wizard should have. But when ever had Harry been 'normal'.

END FLASHBACK

The smile on Harry's face increased as he remembered leaving later that same day. He thanked Merlin he no longer had to wear glasses. All he had to do was place his wand back in his wrist holster and take the ring. As he first touched it, against the wishes of nearly five teachers who had gather to study him, he felt loved. It was the only way he could explain it. The ring fit perfectly as he placed it on his right index finger. It would be the last finger in contact with his wand and knew that was a very special place to put any jewelry. The placement of any jewelry on that finger is to be heavily considered in the magical world.

Harry came back to himself as he opened his eyes, finding himself back in the common room. He glanced at his right index finger and saw the ever present ring. The feeling of love still flowed from it just like it had the first time he touched it.

"Have you finished your potions essay yet Harry? I can't figure out what the dung beetle legs will do when mixed with unicorn hair and griffin blood." Ron asked as he scratched his head with a quill.

"Huh?" Was Harry's articulate answer. To be fair he was still caught up in his daydreaming.

"Honestly Harry." Hermione sighed. It wasn't in her normal patronizing tone. After finding how hard Harry could work to learn something she had stopped being her overbearing self. Something Harry recalled only happening after she and Ron had refused to believe him regarding Malfoy and Snape in his sixth year Before. "You seem to not be able to concentrate at all today. Are you alright?" She asked with concern.

"Yea, I'm fine. I think I might have just been pressing too hard these last few months. I feel like I can't concentrate on anything today." Harry replied.

"Your probably right. You have been working awfully hard lately and it has shown. I don't think I have ever seen Professor Vector so shocked in my life when you turned in that Rune adjustment to enhance listening wards. She didn't think you would last until Christmas let alone already know more Rune set and how to combine and create them than most sixth years."

"Only because I had you teaching me at the beginning. If it hadn't been for you Mione I don't think I would have ever gotten how these things work."

"Hey! Over here guys. Enough of the lovely dovey you helped me crap. I need to know what in Merlin's name happens to the potion!" Ron puffed. He really didn't like to be ignored like he had been.

"It turns silver and starts to make golden vapors appear. You have to turn down your flame to half heat to keep the potion from exploding. Hey ten galleons says when we make this Neville will forget that part."

"I heard that Harry!" Neville yelled from the another chair further down the common room. "And your probably right. I don't know why I can't get the hang of potions."

"Don't worry Neville." Hermione comforted the boy. "You are brilliant in herbology. I still don't know how you managed to transplant and prune that snapping snapdragon without it getting you. It even seemed to just let you do everything without argument. You really do have a gift. Your a natural. You should think about starting your own nursery after graduation."

Neville blushed the same shade as the Gryffindor crest and tried to wave off the praise. "I'll think about it."

"Hey why don't you come over here with us Neville?" Ron called, pointing to a vacant seat between him and Harry.

Harry had already told his two closest friends that he was going to try to gather more people into his group. There were some concerns about Ginny from Ron obviously. That lasted until Harry asked who he would think would win in a duel between the two. Plus Ginny was the best in her class in Arithmancy and Defense. Luna had been hard to sell to Hermione. It took Ginny telling her that she had top marks in Charms and Transfiguration. It seemed that she had some seer blood in her as well. Her real, though not important, predictions in the Divination had earned the ire of Trelawny and Harry thought anyone who could piss her off without getting in trouble was good in his book.

"Yea come on Nev. We can all form a study group. Hara knows I'm going to need your help when it comes to Herbology. I can't even touch a plant and not kill it." Ginny finally added from her spot beside Hermione. It had been easy to meld the youngest Weasley into the group. After her first year she found it hard to become good friends with anyone in her year. But she seemed to fit right into a never before seen place with the Golden Trio. Harry was also doing everything he could to slowly ensure that he would only be seen as a good friend and not a love interest.

As Neville gathered his books and things Ron asked, "Where did you find that? I've looked all though this years and last years potions books and didn't find anything on that."

"You wouldn't either." Hermione responded in a frosty voice. "Snape never even went over it in class. Harry and I found it in another book we had been looking though by sheer accident. I swear, that man tires his hardest to make people fail." She really hated how Snape acted all the time. She couldn't understand how he could be a teacher and this great potions master when he really only taught one quarter of the school, his Slytherins.

"Have you ever noticed that the Slytherins have no trouble with even the hardest potions we make? They might not be perfect but they are at least passable most of the time." Harry watched as the other nodded.

"He probably holds extra classes for his house or gives them an extra work sheet that tells them the little things that has to be done with the potion before class." Neville remarked as he set up his work station.

"I wouldn't doubt that." Ron grumbled as he filled in the rest of his essay and blew the ink dry.

"You know he's never really taught us anything. He just yells to read the book then do the potion. The only time I can remember him teaching was when we were doing something real dangerous that if someone messed up it could harm his precious Slytherings." Harry continued

"I heard that every first year Slytherin has to sit an extra hour class with him a week for potions for the entire first year. It would explain why they seem to know so much more about potion making than any other house." Ginny added into the conversation not even looking up from her star chart.

"Really?" Harry and Hermione asked at the same time.

"Yea. It was from a third year I was talking to that was sorted into Ravenclaw. His sister was a Slytherin and she did her best to help him catch up the summer after his first year. So I think it was probably true."

The others nodded. Hermione rather stiffly as she thought of the instructor intentionally attempting to fail students.

"It would probably be a good idea to owl Flourish and Blotts to see if there are any beginning guides to potions. It would probably help fill in the gaps." Harry already knew just about everything that would be written in the books if they got them but the others would learn a lot of information he already knew and Snape had 'forgotten' to teach them in first year potions.

"Good idea Harry." Hermione was already drafting a letter to the esteemed book store. "I'll simply tell them what we are looking for and ask them to send us the best books they have for the amount of gold we send them.

Harry nodded and dug into his robes pulling out his money bag. "This one's on me everyone. We only need one set and we can all share among ourselves. I would like to start a library anyway and this will make a good start." Harry passed a stack galleons to Hermione.

"Harry!" The girl gasped in astonishment. "There has to be nearly fifty galleons here. That is way too much."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Do you know how much I won at the world cup?"

Apparently Hermione didn't know he had even placed a bet. "Harry you know gambling is illegal." She hissed.

"Not quite correct Mione." Harry smiled. "Since it was outside of school and we were not in the muggle world, where you would be correct, it was a perfectly legal venture for me."

"How much did you win Harry?" Ron questioned with a wide grin.

"Somewhere over ten thousand galleons." All the others gasped. "Yea," he continued enthusiastically. "I won some really high odd bets what with Krum catching the snitch but Ireland still winning. Then there was the bet that I had with Krum making the Irish seeker plow into the ground more than twice. That one payed out big."

"When did you get to be so knowledgeable about Krum Harry?" Ron questioned. "The papers don't follow Bulgaria too well."

"Well," he scratched the back of his neck in a show of embarrassment. "I just hedged a guess really. What with all the talk of how good he was and I already knew he had a mean Wronski Feint and that the Irish seeker wasn't the best."

The faces of those around him gaped.

"Harry, you must have put down at least a few thousand galleons yourself to be able to make that much."

"Yea, guess I just got lucky."

"Well you do seem to have all the luck... both bad and good." Ginny said as she shook her head in amazement. "You know your going to have to get us some really good Christmas gifts this year, right?"

"Don't worry Gin. I have the perfect thing picked out for you. You'll love it."

That was all it took for the circle of friends to erupt in an uproar. Harry sat back as his best friends animately told him that he didn't have to and they wouldn't accept any expensive gifts from him.

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Albus Dumbledore ran his old fingers through the soft plumage of his phoenix. He didn't feel it however. Again he found himself contemplating one of his student albeit a very important one. Harry Potter was now a mystery to him. He had kept his distance from the lad these last few months hoping the rift between them would close. Preferably by Harry coming back to him and apologizing. It hadn't happened though. He had also noticed young Harry expanding his sphere of influence. He had brought in the youngest Weasley girl and Longbottom into his close knit group of friends. He seemed to be offering friendship to a Ravenclaw that he never really paid attention to before. Beside that he seemed friendlier with those from all houses, including some Slytherins, though he noticed how they always acted indifferent when in public. It really amazed Albus how cunning Harry was with making new friends. Without the help of the portraits he never would have know of the inroads young Potter was making in the serpent house.

Albus chuckled slightly thinking how his potions master would take the friendship of any one of his serpents with the young Potter boy. He could definitely see why many of the Slytherins would agree to silent acquaintances. The Potters were extremely wealthy and had, in years past, much sway within politics. Any Slytherin worth their salt would never scoff such a powerful ally away.

He rubbed his beard with his free hand as his mind worked out darker meanings to it all. Riddle had acted much the same way. He had his core group of 'friends', though Dumbledore was fairly sure Riddle never really had friends. Outside this core group he pulled everyone into his infectious attitude. 'Was this what the prophesy meant when it stated that Harry would be Tom's equal? Was it a literal meaning?' Question after question popped into is mind but he had no answers.

What Albus did know what that Harry was growing in knowledge and power at an astounding rate. That ring he made was of a substance he had only seen a few times in his life and never had it been transfigured. Mithril, only a few veins of the ultimate magical metal resided inside the earth. Dwarf and goblin alike had exhausted the veins they could reach centuries ago. The only items he knew of that were made of the substance was a cup once owned by Helga Hufflepuff and a hair piece from Rowena Ravenclaw rumored to have been gifted to her by one of the high mages in Egypt before she ventured to England. For a fourth year student to create such a magical item was unheard of. Albus doubted he had the power to create such a thing.

Albus shook himself from his thoughts as Fawkes tilled softly. It was time to meet his children in the Great Hall for breakfast. He would have to think further on this later on. Hopefully he would be able to glean some information from the young man in question. He hated to try to use legilimency on Harry but if he had to he would. He had already forbidden Severus from using his mind magic on the students in Harry's class and even went so far as to ward the room so that legilimency couldn't be used after Harry's threat the first night he had entered the castle. The firmness in the young man's voice and his eyes that looked so much like chips of emeralds promised he was not bluffing. That was another question he would have to have answered soon. How in the world had Harry learned of the things he spoke about? And how much more did he know?

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"Dear Merlin Harry! How do you bend like that?" Ginny huffed as she tried to move into the same position Harry now was. All six of his core group of Hogwart's friends sat on the cushioned floor of an empty class room performing the beginnings of the intermediate poses they had just moved to.

As the last full week in October finished the group had practiced yoga every morning and night. It was six thirty Friday and even though most had complained heartily about it, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna, spent a good hour twisting their bodies around in different poses.

"It's not just me. Even Ron can do this one." Harry responded.

Ginny huffed and attempted to enter the pose once again. "Remind me how this is suppose to be helping us again."

"It helps you master your body both in flexibility and control." Hermione answered with a thin voice as most of her diaphragm was working to gain the needed oxygen to keep the brain working. It really was a difficult pose.

"It also helps clear your mind. It's one of the reasons you have been able to pick up occlumency so well." Harry added as he pushed the pose further to stretch his lower back out even further.

"I'm just glad it's not a running day." Ron huffed. He really didn't see the point of all this exercise yet. But with after Harry threatened him with not helping later on he decided to do it. Really he did feel better and stronger. He could already see some definition in his stomach and he didn't get nearly as tired after a hard day of spell casting.

"Yea I brought my trunk with me so we can all work out in there. It will be crowded but it's better than nothing." Harry responded as they lowered themselves from the last stretch.

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Five worn out, sweaty, but happy looking Gryffindors said goodbye to Luna as they split up and headed back to their respective commons to take a shower and get ready for the day. After an hour of working out they had thirty minutes to get a shower and get down to the Great Hall to catch the last half hour of breakfast before classes started for the day.

"My legs feel like jelly. I don't know if I'll make it all the way to the commons." Hermione whined as she forced herself up one of three stair cases. She had done her lower body work out today and pushed her muscles to their limits.

Harry and Ron had to admit that they were very impressive muscles too. None of the group wore robes while working out and Harry and Hermione were the only ones with real work out clothing. Hermione's, as apposed to Harry's loose mesh shorts and fitting tank top, wore a full outfit of spandex. Ron nearly passed out the first time he saw it from blood flow problems and had immediately set to work on the heavy bag, spending the entire hour pounding away on the thing until he could barely lift his arms.

Harry and Ginny laughed tiredly at the other girl. They had paired up and done an upper body this morning. Ginny was just starting to really gain strength after spending her first month working the seldom used muscles into shape. Harry however had already gone though that stage. He used his Bowflex to give every muscle from waist up a solid work out. Then the two hit the heavy bag for a few minutes each.

After Harry's performance with Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle on the train none of them thought the weight lifting and other items in the large room were a waste of time. Even Hermione had to admit it was a great way to relieve stress and had asked to use it numerous times after a particularly bad confrontation with the blond twit or Snape. All six had blanket permission to use the fifth compartment in the trunk without asking Harry. He only asked to leave the others alone.

It hadn't taken Malfoy long to regain his swagger. The blond still had three shiny scars running down each side of his face from where he had clawed himself on the train. It seemed that they had went long enough without treatment that the scars were permanent That fact led the Malfoy heir to confront the group of Gryffindors even more than any other year.

"You know, we need to get Malfoy and his goon squad back for trying to get us put in detention yesterday." Ginny said as they made their way to breakfast after getting cleaned up.

"I am finding myself agreeing with that statement." Harry threw his two knuts in.

"He is getting a little cocky isn't he?" Hermione stated.

Ron and Neville just looked flabbergasted the Ms. Prefect would dare get revenge.

"We have been a bad influence on you." Ron smiled affectionately at the bushy haired girl.

Hermione just smiled sweetly back.

I think a prank is in order. A really good one." Harry said. "Something that will embarrass him and we can use it to shut him up in the future."

"Should we get Fred and George into it?" Asked Ron.

"No this should just be us." Hermione said thoughtfully. "And it needs to be really good to. Something that will utterly humiliate him."

"Well let's talk about it tonight. It needs to be before all the other schools arrive. We don't want to give a bad impression right off the bat. Still we need to make sure Colin has that damnable camera with him and ready to immortalize the moment." Harry finished as they entered the great hall.

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The days passed quickly for the six students that now made up Harry's core group of friends. They were all heading to the Halloween feast. Hogsmead had been fun with all of them around.

They had spent days getting everything ready for the prank on Draco and Harry had to pull out his big guns, delving into his prior memories and using his trunk's potions lab. The inhibition potion, that worked by lowering ones own inhibitions and bolstering one's confidence, had ruined many a good wizard's reputation in the past century since it's creation by a vengeful wife. That along with a few other enchantments would really make for a great show. Quietly and stealthy they had slowly layered spells onto Malfoy. The last had been placed that morning as they walked behind him into Hogsmead. Over all the spells themselves were simple second or third year spells so no one would really be able to determine who had done it, although that didn't mean that speculation from the professors wouldn't center on either Harry or the twins. Now though all that was needed was one final activation spell and Harry had used Dobby and Winky, who were working in Hogwarts while he was there, to place a specially made fork in Malfoy's place.

It was a neat bit of transfiguration. He had simply spelled one of the spoons into a fork then placed a rune for activation of spells on it. Harry was hoping that after the rune activated it would trigger the release of the magic and turn it back into a perfectly un-etched spoon. It had worked on a few of his tests and the whole thing really kind of confused him even after Hermione explained the reasoning behind it all.

"Are we all ready?" Ginny asked.

"Shh, don't say anything. Leave no way to incriminate yourself." Harry whispered but nodded all the same to her question.

"Who would hear us?" Ron said looking around.

"Really Ron." Hermione sounded exasperated but it was Luna who answered.

"There has to be twenty hiding places between here and the Great Hall. With the amount of attention Draconis has deemed us worthy for this year, I would not doubt he would be there trying to find out any little thing he could use against us." She said with her usual misty voice.

Harry nodded his agreement but trying to set an example for the rest to shut up.

"But we only need to look at the Marau..."

Harry slammed a hand over Ron's mouth to keep him from blurting out the rest of his sentence.

"Are you insane!" He hissed into Ron's ear. His face clearly showed his rage at his friend bring up the Map where any one could hear about it.

The group stopped to watch the confrontation. Everyone looked angry that they male Weasley would be dumb enough to bring up his father's map.

"Never talk about that in public do you understand?" Intense green eyes bore into frightened sky blue. Ron nodded, his face turning from frightened to abashed in seconds. "Sorry." Harry nodded and playfully punched Ron in the chest.

"Just learn when to keep your big gob shut Weasley." Harry chirped and lead the group along the halls.

A/N:

Another chapter out on my 'back burner' story. I swear, since going over my notes with this I have not even thought of my other stories. And I blame it on all of you. Yea, you out there reading, it's your fault. I can't get the damn thing out of my head.

Anyway, this will probably be the last chapter out before the final book comes out and I'm sure I will hole my self up somewhere to read it, going so far as to forget to eat and potentially sleep as well. So I'm an addict, so sue me. Have fun.


	4. Chapter 4

"Did you see?"

"Yea, looks like Draco is starting to use his grunts for his spying now." Harry acknowledged.

"What are you two talking about?" Ron asked looking between his sister and friend.

"Nott was behind one of the suits of armor along the shadowy section of the hall before we got in here." Hermione said from the corner of her mouth as she sat with the rest of her friends at the long tables.

"Do you think he heard anything?" Neville asked.

"No, I don't." Ginny stated. "He might have heard about the Map if Ron had kept talking but since Harry... well you know."

"Sorry." Ron whispered looking abashed again.

"Don't worry about it. Hey look Nott's giving his report to Malfoy." Harry said as he casually watched the pair across the hall. He winced as the others jerked around in a none too subtle way.

Malfoy listened to his agent come back with nothing of consequence. Anger tore his calm smirking mask away and he slammed his hand onto the table just centimeters from the activation fork.

After a quick introduction from Dumbledore the tables filled themselves with mountains of food. The six calmly took portions of the treats around them, filling their plates, while they tried their best to keep the anxiety from showing too much.

It didn't take long for the festivities to start. Sitting on the side of the table to be able to watch Malfoy, Harry calmly watched Draco pick up the fork in a bid to grab as many of his favorite food as possible. Magic rippled slightly before one of the charms activated. One designed to draw everyone's attention.

The noise of the dining hall was broken by a clear cat call whistle from the Slytherin side of the hall. As everyone turned to look at the disturbance the magic started its work again. Draco's body slowly formed into that of a female with large assets. His black robes turned into a flowing white dress and his white hair grew down his back.

Realizing what was happening, the Slytherin jumped from his place in horror, just as Harry had planned it. A wind picked up around the blond blowing the dress up in a classic impression of Marilyn Monroe but with a more panicked face. Finally a compulsion charm kicked in, adding to the effect of the inhibition potion that had laced the inside of his goblet. God Harry really loved house elves, especially his two bound and vengeful ones.

Malfoy sauntered up to the head table and to his head of house. By now everyone was laughing. He bent down, looking for the world to be whispering something in the greasy potion master's ear, when he grabbed Snape's head and planted his lips onto that of his professor's in a searing kiss. It took the shocked bat precious seconds to gather himself and push his young protégé away. Draco, however, didn't relent.

"Please Severus. I need you. Please let me be yours. We could be happy together." Draco pleaded much to the horror of Snape and amusement to all others.

A few minutes of trying to keep Draco off the professor only ended up in a cat fight with Sprout and Dumbledore on the ground in pain from Draco kneeing the old man where it counted.

Harry laughed so hard he couldn't breathe at the show. He had set out to humiliate Malfoy but managed to get both Snape and Dumbledore at the same time. He was surrounded by his friends. Life was good he realized as he struggled to breath.

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"I want to know who is responsible for the very malicious prank played on Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore said in his 'I'm disappointed in you' grandfatherly voice. All it did was cause the line of students lining the hall way to snicker again.

It had taken nearly an hour to regain some sort of order within the halls of Hogwarts. Draco eventually gave up on Snape and started showing his affection for both Crabbe and Goyle as he jumped onto the Slytherin table and started a strip tease. That had not been in the plan and Harry wandered if it was a combination of the different spells that caused him to do it or was it the inhibition inhibitor potion. At the hours end the magic wore off as it was suppose to and an utterly humiliated Draco sped from the room as fast as his legs could carry him. Pansy had chased after him crying and screaming at him adding to the amusement.

Personally Harry was glad Dumbledore was the one behind the questioning and not Snape. He wouldn't put it past Snape to just start using Legilimancy on everyone, starting with him, to get his answers.

'Speak of the devil.' Harry muttered to himself.

Snape, in his entire bat like fury, stormed through the hall toward them, interrupting the disappointed glare of the Headmaster.

"Why do you even bother with this foolishness? We already know it was Potter that did this! I demand he be expelled for this once and for all!"

"Now Severus we don't know if it was Harry behind the attack." Dumbledore chided gently. It made Harry want to puke. He had come to see how the old man had always given chances to those who had followed the 'darker' path but when it came to people under his control he willingly sent them to their deaths. Harry firmly believed Dumbledore would sacrifice one of the 'Light' in an attempt to pull someone back from the 'Dark Path'. It was really a wonder they hadn't lost the first war before he was even born.

"You have coddled him enough Dumbledore. It is time for the insolent brat to learn a lesson." Snape spun around with his wand in hand, a spell on his lips. Years of training and reflexes came to his aid and Harry spun almost quicker than one could see. He hands had already drawn a dagger and his wand as he finished the spin and he set himself into an attacking position. A spell of his own nearly completed.

"STOP!" Dumbledore's voice cracked like a whip. It was too late however. The legilimancy curse dissipated on the grey stone and the golden energy of the disarming hex slammed into Snape, lifting him bodily and throwing him into the wall behind him.

Harry didn't stop moving though as he rushed forward. He only stopped when the silver blade of the dagger he had purchased in Diagon Ally was biting into the flesh on Snape's neck.

Severus Snape knew pure hatred when he saw it. Now, looking into the eyes of his bane's spawn he knew, knew without a shadow of a doubt, that Harry Potter would feel no remorse killing him.

"Harry Potter! Cease this immediately!"

The voice of the Headmaster settled his mind enough for Harry to gauge his surroundings. He slowly back away from the downed potions master and slid both weapons back into their respective places.

"Never cast a spell toward me again." Harry stated with a voice so cold it made the other in the hall shiver.

"He was only trying to find out what happed to Mr. Malfoy, Harry. Professor Snape would never harm a student." Dumbledore spoke calmly, trying to defuse the tense moment.

"You just keep telling yourself that." Harry scowled and resumed his place in line.

"Be that as it may I demand entrance into this boy's head to know the truth!" Snape spat with even more venom than he normally did. Getting embarrassed then held at knife point in a matter of hours had really soured his mood.

Harry smirked internally. This might be a way to get some well earned revenge. He knew, unfortunately that he couldn't get rid of Snape now. It was simply too soon. That didn't mean he couldn't put the fear of God into the man though.

Normally the defenses surrounding the young man's mind made it impossible to even find any neurological activity therefore making a legilimancy probe think that there was nothing there to find. That was just the first level and like many defenses they could be adjusted to give desired results. Harry quickly set up his mind's defenses to look easily breached. It was only after the intruder entered that they would encounter the full power and ingenuity they young mage had used in his creation. As far as he knew he was the only one with this type of occlumency.

"Will this prove my innocence?" He questioned Dumbledore, completely ignoring Snape and the horrified gasps of his friends.

"I believe it will Harry. If you would just hold still for a moment."

"No sir. You would find nothing and Snape wouldn't believe you anyway. Let him do it himself. If for no other reason than to satisfy his morbid curiosity."

Snape's eyes lit up. He had wanted to find out what happened to the boy during the holidays since he first heard what he had done to Draco on the train. Potter had obviously been in contact with someone who knew way too much about his past life for him to be comfortable.

"Agreed." Snape said with his black eyes shining with malicious glee.

The potions professor leveled his wand at Harry and again Harry had to squash the urge to evade and defend. The watery wave of magic slammed into him with all the subtlety of a train.

Harry quickly lowered his outside barrier so Snape could enter and once the essence of the man's mind was within his new wards and barriers slammed into place, leaving no way of escaping.

Snape looked around the mindscape in utter amazement. Only master occlumens could create a mind-scape. The lush jungle forest stretched out in all directions so far he couldn't see the end. Above him a thick blanket of clouds rolled continuously past. Killing curse green bolts of lightning arced from one place to another, occasionally striking the ground, killing everything around it only to be re-grown in seconds. In the distance a large volcano shot its smoke into the air.

'That must be where his memories are.' The greasy man mentally thought and set a path for the mountain.

He hadn't made it a hundred meters when he ran into his first obstacle.

In the search for the Horcurxes Harry and his friends had scoured the world over. While in Rome he had met with a high ranking priest who knew about the hidden world of magic. After explaining what he was looking for, Harry was lead deep into the catacombs under Vatican City. Months of work and negotiations had finally led him to where he thought one of the soul fragments might be hidden.

They didn't find what they were after but Harry still found it worth the time. Demons, they had found out, really had once roamed the earth. They never stopped killing, always needing to kill and cause pain. A wizard with more power than Harry had ever heard of hunted these _things_ and left a pensive of the creatures he ran into. According to legend, he had perished fighting his greatest foe.

Harry watched the final memory of some demon that had been this wizard's last battle. Harry also modeled his mind's defenders after this demon.

A screeching yell blasted though the clearing Snape had found himself in upon entering Potter's mind. He had hardly taken three steps toward the mountain in the distance.

As Snape watched a glistening black…_thing_ stalked from the dark shadows onto the edge of the clearing. It was vaguely humanoid in the torso and legs though knees had been reversed and giant sharp claws adorned where the feet should have been. The creature walked with a stoop like it could either walk on four or two legs. The arms were long ending in two scythe like appendages looking like a praying mantis. The head though was the most horrifying thing the potion master had ever seen. It was ghastly imitation or mockery of a lion. The mane was a seemingly alive mass of vine like tentacles. The head was long and thin like one would see on a barracuda fish. It had four eyes that seemed to be able to work independently of each other. At the end of the mouth was a razor sharp beak and on the inside of its enormous jaws were row after row of razor sharp teeth.

Over all the beast was very powerful and extremely deadly looking.

Snape didn't move as the beast stalked around the edge of the clearing. Since this was his mind there he slowly pulled his mental wand from his sleeve, ready incase the beast attacked. The animal made a few odd chirping clicks before it moved further back into the dense foliage.

Having never met one of these beasts the greasy man decided it would be a prudent time to pull out of the foreign mind before the things attacked. He tried to move back into his body only feel like he was slammed back to the earth. He scowled as he remained in Potter's mind and tried to leave once more. This time putting more power into his leaving. Again he was thrown to the ground.

Another series of the chirping clicks sounded and this time at least two more of the beasts called back from way too close for his liking. Beginning to panic, Snape stood and pushed all his mental strength to return to his own body. Again he was forced to the earth below him.

Eyes wide with panic Severus stood fearfully. Even in the Dark Lord's presence he had never felt fear like this before. He knew he was safe playing both side against each other and the his previous master had never been able to get through his occlumency shield to see his real loyalty. Loyalty that belonged to him alone.

A snap of a broken branch focused his attention back to the tree line. Four of the creatures were now visible sticking their terrifying heads into the clearing.

Panic bubbled in his chest like a potion gone wrong. He could barely contain it. Suddenly one of the beasts lunged at him with amazing speed. The cutting curse from his wand bit deep into the thing but it just kept coming. Panicking as the creature neared and the others attacked he shouted his curses, using everything in his arsenal.

In the hall of Hogwarts minutes passed and everyone was looking rather questioningly at the ridged form of their most hated teacher.

"Do you feel Severus viewing any of your memories yet Harry?" Dumbledore questioned with concern.

"No." Harry said confused. In reality he knew what was happening. His mental defenders were preparing to tear Snape a new ass hole. If they managed to kill him in his mind then the Snape in the real world would be little more than a brain dead body so he had to ensure a happy medium. He settled for a good mauling then release. It would ensure Snape would be of no consequence for a few months as he recovered sufficiently to teach again but the man's mind would be torn still. Medi-magic didn't work on the mind as it did on the body."What do you think happened?" Hermione questioned.

"I do not know. I have never heard of an instance of this happening before." Sighed the old man looking defeated.

Harry thought of another way get one over on the old man and Snape. "Do you think it could be an adverse reaction to the failed killing curse? I mean what if he saw a memory of me getting hit by it? Could the mere memory of the incident kill him? Or his mind at least?" This was a question he had wanted answered for a long while now. The last defenses around his mind mountain were first the memories of being tortured. Finally his memory of being struck with the killing curse. It really didn't matter any as the whole mountain was just a big ruse to lead the invader into more and more traps. Something people never seemed to think of were the stars that shown brightly past the thick blanket of rolling clouds where his memories were truly held. If someone did manage to figure out the game they would have one hell of a time figuring out how to get to the stars to view the memories.

"No, both Severus and I have preformed ligilimency on you before." Dumbledore answered without thinking. He didn't realize his mistake even when those around him went deathly quiet.

"As to your follow up question, I do not know. As the only one to survive the curse no one has been able to study the effects one might have by reviewing the memory. It very well could perform the same task the curse does."

Surprisingly it was Fred and George who took the most offense to having Dumbledore admit that he and his pet professor had spent time poking around in the minds of their students.

"You mean to tell us that even in our own mind we aren't safe from that greasy bastard?" Fred yelled for the entire hall to hear.

"You just let one of your professors go around playing with people's minds..."

"Invading our thoughts..."

"Destroying our privacy..."

Then both continued in their eerie twin unison. "We will not stand for this. We will be writing to our parents.

"The papers..."

"Law enforcement..."

"The ruddy Minister!" They yelled in unison once again. Fred even went as far as to connect with a vicious right hook to Snape's slack face. If the cracking and crouching sound were anything to go by he had done a number on Snivillus' jaw.

As the enormity settled into the pit of Dumbledore's stomach of his admission in front of so many students he seemed to age. No one knew better than he that there were very few laws regarding the seldom learned art of legilimancy and occlumency. One of the few was that professionals were band from using the technique on minors without parental consent. It would also bode very poorly for his potions teacher in the public eye and both of their reputations. Without thinking the aged mage whipped his wand out, an obliviate spreading though the hall with only a continued wave.

Student's eyes went glassy as the information they had just been subject to was removed. Thinking quickly Dumbledore removed all the memories after Snape attacking and entered Harry's mind. All but six left the hall thinking that no culprit had been found.

Two twin red heads however remembered pieces of the events. The still incomplete occlumency shields and mental sorting of the art kept chunks of the memory in place. It was all that was needed as if one could put together inconsistencies during or after obliviation the spell would fail and the subject would remember what really happened.

The twins continued toward their dorms confused as what really happened replaced what was placed by one of the men they had grown up thinking was the embodiment of light. It seemed Harry had been correct during the summer when he addimitely refused to mention anything of what they were doing to the old man. He just couldn't be trusted. And by the next morning all the real memories would be remembered.

Luna, Neville, Ginny, Ron and Hermione knew better than to reveal to the Headmaster that the spell didn't work on them. Harry's personal tutelage had brought them further along than the twins. Already each had a fairly solid shield protecting them from any outside influence. They still needed work though and Harry had told them it would probably be some time around Christmas that they would have solidified their barriers enough to start on the wards and traps.

A deep gash appeared to rip from Snape's left eye, down his face and continued under his robes. The back of the fabric glistened as the blood soaked them. Another then another gash appeared. The ridged professor howled in agony as a large chunk of flesh ripped itself from Snape's left shoulder.

"Stay here all of you while I go call Madam Pomphrey." Dumbledore mumbled before setting on his way to the nearest teacher's office.

After Dumbledore left Hermione started ranting at Harry. "I know what you are doing. You have Snape trapped in your mind. You told us you could do that already you know."Harry smiled devilishly. "And currently he is being mauled by some rather pissed off demons. They really don't like people spraying them with acid."

"We'll talk about all this later." Hermione huffed. She really didn't know how Harry had learned all of this so quickly. "You need to let him go Harry. I think you have played with him enough."

"Can you make sure he's hurt for awhile?" Ron asked sincerely.

"Yea he deserves it for what he did to you. Plus you need to make sure he doesn't remember. Is that even possible?" Ginny asked

"Yea I will be able to obliviate him and make him think that he just hit normal shields that reacted with my scar. He won't be in any position to defend himself after I release him."

With that Harry ordered his mental animals away from the close to death professor. Then, with a force of a giant hammer, Snape was hurtled back into his own mind. The ass crumpled to the floor and Harry quickly shot the memory spell to change the memories slightly then kicked him in the nose, breaking a second set of bones on the man's already ugly face.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed.

"What?" He questioned calmly. "He did it when he fell to the floor." He added pointedly just before Dumbledore arrived.

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As an ironic twist of fate the potions books they had all ordered from Blotts were waiting with five owls when they arrived back in the common room. They would have time to study them before Snape was well enough to teach again.

"Well an eventful night." Ron called as he settled down in his favorite chair. Most of the others had already left to bed. Ron grabbed one of the smaller, more elementary books from the pile. "What?" He asked as every one looked at him as if he were insane.

"Any reason you picked that book?" Neville asked.

"Well it looks like it is the most basic book of the lot. If my potions skills are anything to go by I think I need to start with this one." He stated honestly.

"I thought you didn't like to study or read?" Ginny quirked.

"Well I want to keep up with all of you. Out of the lot, I'm probably the one holding us down the most." He looked to his lap with a guilty face. "I don't want to be left behind I guess."

There was a rush as each of them denied that they would leave the boy behind. Still in the end it looked like Ron was going to change a little for the good. Inside Harry sighed, relieved. One major obstacle had been moved from his path. Now all he had to do was work on his friends to show them that magic was magic and that dark arts could be used for good.

Harry sighed, that might take a while.

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The following day had occurred just as Harry remembered. That's not to say that he recalled the events of the other schools arriving all that much. Durmstrang had, again, appeared via ship and Beaubuxton their flying carriage. He managed to line his pockets with even more gold when he made a few bets with the Ravenclaws and Slytherins on the method of arrival. He really loved knowing the future and the look on Malfoy's face when he handed a hundred galleons, his only spending money for the year, over to Harry was priceless.

Knowing what was going to occur left Harry to view his surroundings better this time around. He laughed as he heard some first or second year Hufflepuff having to explain the fairy tale of Cinderella to some of her upper year house mates.

'And the purebloods think we're ignorant.' He scoffed mentally.

After the arrival of both schools they had all seated themselves for the meal again. Ron had made less a fool of himself this time when Fleur had taken one of the French dishes from their table. He had only smiled a little goofy and his eyes only clouded over a little bit. It still hadn't stopped Hermione from blowing her top.

Harry glanced at Neville and Ginny who each shared a look with him. As if reading each other's minds they all shook their head sadly. He sighed as he added another mental notation onto the ever growing 'To-do" list in his head.

After the first week of school the announcement of the Tri-wizard Tournament, the excitement and talk had died away in favor of new classes and a new work load. Now that the other schools were here along with some of the Ministry the excitement was nearly palatable. Crouch Sr., Percy and Bagman, Harry recognized as he took a glance toward the head table. The noise and chatter of the event renewed its self full force. The excitement in the air brought back memories for Harry. He could see why everybody was so excited. With so many excited under aged witches and wizards in one place accidental magic seemed to fill the air, leading to even more excitement.

"May I please have your attention?" Dumbledore's voice of authority boomed over the crowd. "I would like to thank..."

Dumbledore was always good at making speeches. He knew how much to say and how long to talk as to flatter those he was conducting the speech for but not going so long as to bore the crowd. This one was no different. After thanking the schools the powerful man, with the help of Crouch and Bagman introduced the Goblet of Fire.

"The Goblet of Fire is a strictly impartial judge. It will choose one champion from each school. However due to the danger and skill needed to adequately defend one's self we, which is all the officials, have decided that no one under the age of sixteen will be permitted to enter." Crouch announced with no small amount of trepidation. It was obvious he expected an out roar of disapproval.

The hall remained quiet though. Many of the students, even those from Durmstrang and Beaubuxton frowned and sneered at the man.

"Yes it is for the best I believe." Dumbledore bailed out his ministry colleague. "I will personally be drawing an age line letting none pass under sixteen. You will have until mid-day Sunday to enter."

It was Friday night so they would have all day tomorrow to enter.

"Now as we have been fed and watered I bid you good night." Dumbledore announced signaling the end of dinner and for students to return to their respective areas.

Harry glanced around once more but again didn't see Aimee with the other Beaubuxton students. Of course it was hard to identify any of them as they all had kept their shawls on during dinner, trying in vain to keep the November chill out of their silk robes.

As Harry and his group got up to leave he distinctly heard a familiar voice.

"It iz so cold in dis castle. I do not know howz we are to keep from geeting zeek."

Harry rolled his eyes as he changed direction, heading toward the ever complaining part veela. Harry knew it was just a quirk the girl had when she was nervous but heaven above that didn't make it any easier to listen to her.

Harry distinctly remembered the same voice, though slightly more matured, complaining and ranting for three days strait before she married Bill.

"We will just have to wear more layers under our robes." A very familiar voice spoke from beside the complaining one. "We can also write our families asking them to send us more seasonal clothing for this part of the world."

Harry knew Aimee's voice as soon as the first letter rolled off her lips and it took every bit of his will power not to rush over to her. He remembered the love they shared, the time they spent together. But he kept having to remind himself that no one else remembered. Only he did. And for now... for now he was alone in that.

"There is also a clothing shop in Hogsmeade, just a short walk down the road from the castle gates. I'm sure Dumbledore will provide carriages as well if he were asked." Harry supplied jumping into their conversation. "But for now maybe a warming charm would help?"

The two girls turned to see Harry looking at the pair expectantly.

"Please." Aimee answered quickly. And as Harry cast the charm to make her comfortable once more she continued. "We will bring the subject to our Headmistress. Thank you..."

Fleur cut her off. She seemed particularly angry tonight. "Yes, cast zee charm on me as weel." She stated sharply. Harry only raised an eyebrow at her tone but cast the charm much to her obvious delight. "Now oo are you little boy?" She questioned.

Harry allowed the comment to roll off him easily. He knew he was not viewed well initially by the part veela and when annoyed had a rather vicious tongue. Aimee visibly tensed at her friend's attitude. This 'boy' who to her looked to be well on his way into manhood looked quite handsome to her. His roguishly messy hair and brilliant emerald eyes, her favorite gem stone, seemed to set him apart from the rest of his peers. He was slightly short but no smaller than she was. But it was the aura of command and power that really drew her attention. But from the soft look on his face, and how he had not risen to Fleur's baiting, that let her know this young man did not use his position to lord over anyone. Yes she was quite interested in knowing who exactly this young man was.

"I am sorry Miss. My name is Harry and these are my good friends." Harry said as he waved his reluctant friends forward. Ginny seemed the least reluctant of the group seeing as Hermione seemed to channel a dragon as she horred her treasure, Ron, from those who would try and steal it. "This is Ginny Weasley, a third year and a Gryffindor."

Neville stepped forward with a slight blush at his bravado. Harry had been helping him get over his shyness all year and he wouldn't let Harry make all the introductions. "Good evening _Mademoiselle_. I am Neville Longbottom. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."The two french girls turned their gazes on to the new arrival with a hint of respect in Fleur's case at the formal greeting. She knew how to handle culture.

"A pleasure _moinsuer_." Fleur responded with a nod as did Aimee.

There was a moment of silence as Harry beamed at his friend and the other goggled at him.

"This is Luna Lovegood. She's in Ravenclaw, the house whose table you sat at during dinner this evening." Harry gestured toward the eccentric female.

"And finally we have Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, by best friends." Harry pulled the two forward. Ron grinned sheepishly but he seemed to have recovered himself from earlier that evening. Hermione however was now channeling the horntail that he was sure to draw again if things went according to plan.

"It is nice to meet you all." Aimee responded as Fleur relaxed now that she was comfortable once more. "I am Aimee Kampe and this is my friend Fleur Delacour both from Beaubuxton. I am in fifth while Fleur is in sixth year." Aimee state in near perfect english with a hint of her french accent.

"It is a pleasure meeting both of you." Harry mentioned as they started walking toward the doors and into the entry way. "Are you both going to enter the tournament?" He continued their conversation.

"I weel be able too." Fleur answered looking at Aimee with regret. "We deed not know of the age limeet before we left so Aimee will not be able to enter."

Harry nodded. "Neither will we." Ginny spoke from her new place beside Aimee who was still covered in her shaw. "Though after reading what past tournaments included I don't think I would like to face most challenges willingly."

As they approached the doors to the outside of the castle Aimee spoke up again, looking at Harry the whole time. "We will have to continue our conversation another day." She more asked than stated.

"Yea, I'd like that." Harry smiled, his eyes shining with a light none of his friends had ever seen before.

"Before we leave." Fleur added. "We didn't get your last name Harry."Harry smiled his trademark lopsided smile. "No I guess you didn't. It's Potter. My name's Harry Potter."

With his smooth closing, the same he had used on Aimee Before, he casually gathered his group around him and made his way to the Gryffindor dorms.

When Harry was out of site and the two french beauties made it safely back into their carriages Fleur turn to her best friend and squealed. As Aimee removed the shaw the veela saw the absolute dumbstruck face of her friend. Harry Potter was not just a name known to those in England. Sure the engish knew him better and outside his home country he was only a famous name but neither of the two girls thought they would be meeting the 'Vanquisher of Evil' as he was known better as on the continent.

The first war had spread into many of the wizarding establishments in Europe. It was easy for a relative small force that was deatheaters to hit targets all over the world with magic travel such as apperation and portkeys. Both girls' fathers had fought the dark forces in and around France before the downfall and subsequent killing or capture of many in the dark force. Those who had escaped prosecution integrated themselves back into normal life.

Aimee's father had been part of the army that had risen to stop Voldemort's forces. He along with Jean Delacour had risen in ranking quickly due to their magical power, charisma, knowledge and skill. Jean retired after the war and started his political career. He was now one of the most powerful men in France. Clovis Kampe stayed in the auror program and now worked as the head auror in France. Aimee had always found it amusing that her father's name meant famous warrior. For that is exactly what he had become.

Both girls stayed up late in the night talking about the boy they had just met.

Harry Potter had made his first major change to history. Be it for ill or gain had yet to be seen. Only time will tell in the end.

As Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville finished up the last bit of homework they had for the week Fred and George burst through the portrait hole. Spying Harry they made their way over.

"We just got back from the Great Hall.""Dumbledore set up the age line around the Goblet."

"So how are we going to get around it?" Both twins asked at once.

Harry looked at the two like they were crazy. "I don't plan on entering." He responded and interrupted any further argument from the twins he plowed on. "Though if someone wanted to get themselves killed all they would need to do is have someone of age drop their name in for them. Dumbledore only said that anyone below sixteen couldn't cross the age line. That leads me to believe that there is no way for someone to adjust the Goblet of Fire to only choose people above a certain age, only who is best qualified.""We were thinking of making an aging potions but We like your idea better."

"Yes much easier.""And we know just the person." The twins spoke back and forth again.

"Yes that probably would work." Hermione grumbled out as she thought of a way that the professors would have negated that loophole.

"How did you come up with that so quickly?" Ron asked with mild surprise.

"Well," Harry rubbed his cheek, "I've found wizards think too one dimensional. Like if there was a raving crazy portrait on the wall with a perminate sticking charm and couldn't be silenced. Well most wizards would just give up trying to get it down and shutting the thing up. Instead why not try to cut the canvas away from the frame. Or blow the thing up. Or cut out the wall around the portrait. I'm sure there is no way that aging potion would fool Dumbledore's line. Probably nothing will. But there are a lot of creative ways to do things. Having someone else older than the limit seemed like the easiest. Another would be to stand outside the line and throw wads of parchment at the cup until you get one in. Maybe magic to levitate your entry in.""I guess I just see so many wizards and witches give up if a simple spell doesn't get what they want done. We put so much emphasis on a spell to block the killing curse. We call in the unblockable curse. Bolloks! Instead of waiting for the damn spell to hit move out of the way. It is one of the slowest traveling spells in existence. There case closed. Spells ineffective. If you can't move levitate a chunk of ground or rock, conjure something. A simple _avis_ will be a more than effective shield for it."

Tired and finished with his work Harry moved off to bed, leaving a shocked group behind. They had never seen Harry get so agitated over something like that before.

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Saturday passed quickly for the six Hogwarts students. Most of the day was spent watching others enter their names. Many like Cedric seemed a little shy about entering but a host of friends laughed and kept pushing them to the cup. Krum stilled the room with his mere presence. The famous quidditch star stalked to the cup and dropped his name in. Harry wondered how someone could be such a great flyer but seem so awkward on the ground. It seemed he should have been born an eagle but was somehow mixed up when entering his body. Maybe there was an eagle out there somewhere that couldn't fly well.

Instead of Fred and George entering with so much fanfare, it was Malfoy. Trying to salvage some of his nonexistent masculinity, he entered the Great Hall. Beside him were his ever present trolls. The three of them pulled a vial of milky white potion from their pockets and showing it to everyone, bragging that they had found a way to get past the age line.

As one they tipped the potion to their lips and drank the contents.

"It was an aging potion like the twins were going to make." Hermione whispered into the group.

"This ought to be another good show." Ginny whispered back.

"The idiots had to make it themselves since Snape is still in the infirmary." Harry said. "They weren't able to get his help to cheat the line."

"Watch as I enter my name into the Goblet. Eternal glory will be mine!" Draco yelled as he sauntered past the line.

It let him through, along with his two guards.

"Why didn't anything happen?" Ron asked. "Surely Dumbledore would have thought about a simple aging potions."

No one was able to react as the blue flames shot into the air, spitting the out the parchment that had just been dropped into it. Lines of orange flames lifted into the air.

"The line must set the spell but it won't do anything unless you actually enter."

"That was pretty ingenious." Harry had to admit. A good piece of magic was just a good piece of magic.

Draco watched as the lines of floating fire grew more and more agitated before they congregated.

BAM! An explosion echoed from the walls and the three boys were bodily lifted and throw half way across the hall. They landed in a pile of limbs. Suddenly their hair started growing and then turned grey.

Harry looked over to see Fleur, Aimee and a few of their friends had shown, prepared to enter the contest. They had stopped however as they watched the three boys get tossed away from the cup.

"You told me this would work you brainless monkeys!" Malfoy screamed. His voice had risen in pitch and now resembled his voice from a few days before.

"But it was your idea." Goyle said in a confused voice.

"Yea, it was when we were in the common room. You said that since Snape wasn't around to help us we had to do it ourselves." Crabbe supplied.

Draco turned red and started ranting at the top of his lungs, completely forgetting where he was. Students from all three schools chuckled and snickered at the irate blond as he made even more of a fool of himself.

"Who's that?"

The soft voice beside Harry surprised him and it was only the fact that he knew that voice anywhere that kept him from taking drastic measures as he normally would in that instance. That didn't mean he didn't jump at the shock or let out a rather loud, but still manly, exclamation."Holly Harrah Aimee! Don't do that." He panted, recovering from his shock.

Aimee, Fleur, well everybody laughed even harder then they were at Harry.

"Yes, yes, it was all very funny." Harry conceded smiling. If it had been someone else he knew he would have laughed as well. "To answer your question though: That is our very own Draco Malfoy, Slytherin prince, and all around arse hole. You've managed to catch him in a particularly amusing display this evening. You should have seen the prank we played on him before your school arrived."

"I'm sure I would. Maybe you could show me some time?"

Harry nearly jumped in the air, pumping his fists at that. "Yea sure." He ended up saying instead. He was glad the attraction and magnetism the two shared Before showed again. "We made sure to get pictures and I'm sure Ron would be more than willing to provide the sound effects."

Aimee laughed and Harry loved the sound of it. Her Coppery golden hair was pulled back in a pony tail and her aquamarine eyes danced. He couldn't take it any more. Harry had to do something, anything to get them closer to one another.

"Um Aimee?" The black haired youth seemed hesitant to ask. "I know they haven't announced it formally yet but when they asked us to bring dress robes to school this year I figured there would be something special going on, other than the tournament that is."

Aimee looked at the young man she found herself growing more and more attracted to through her eye lashes.

"Well what I'm trying to say is that, if you want to, you really don't have to if you don't, but I think we could have a good time, that is to say, um." He stopped and looked at Aimee sheepishly. "Would you go to what ever event that is being held with me?"

The sound of his voice pleaded with her to say yes and Aimee found she couldn't refuse. Not like she wanted to.

"I would love to Harry. It is a ball by the way. A Yule ball. Madam Maxime informed us before we left and I would love to go with you."

Both gazed at each other for a while. Both wearing stupid expressions on their faces, lost in the other's gaze.

Ginny watched the two below her. She always thought that she would eventually be with Harry. She worked hard to be able to actually sit and talk with him this summer. She, more than anyone, had been bursting with joy when Harry showed up at the Burrow and seemed to demand she become part of his close knit group.

"It was love at first site Gin. There's nothing to do about it I'm afraid." Hermione said as she placed a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"I have never seen her act these way weeth anoother boy before." Fleur added from the petite red head's other side. "She is normally very reezerved around other males. Not shy, but it takes much to gain her trust.""Really I'm happy that he seems to have found someone." Ginny replied with a bitter sweet smile. "He deserves so much and had received so little."

"I just hope she knows how to handle herself in a life threatening situation. Every year someone or something has tried to kill him. You-Know-Who's shade first year with the stone. I'll have to tell you the story about that Gin."

"Aimee and I as well. We had no idea Harry had overcome even more since he vanquished Oo-Know-Oo before." Fleur asked looking curious.

"Yea, that shouldn't be a problem." Ginny stated. She had taken a liking to the two french girls when they had first met. After the Chamber incident it had been hard for her to trust anyone. But when Harry accepted them so quickly she decided to as well. So far Harry had only made friends with those who were trustworthy. He seemed to have natural radar when it came to the unsavory people. Like in first year when, without even knowing him, he had refused Malfoy's hand of friendship.

"So what else have you and Harry done since coming to school?" Fleur prompted from Hermione.

"Well first year we save the Stone from Voldemort, keeping him from coming back. Second year Harry killed a basilisk that was residing in the Chamber of Secrets and saved Ginny's life in the process. Last year he saved someone really close to him, me and Ron and produced a patronus that drove away over a hundred dementors. I can only guess what this year will bring. It's no wonder really that Harry was so glad that he wasn't of age to participate in the tournament. He's hoping for a year that he gets to watch all the excitement from the sidelines for once."

Fleur shivered violently at the mention of the dementors but both other girls didn't notice. The french veela placed her name in the goblet to many applause. Then she and Aimee left to prepare for dinner. There was only one more day before the Tri-Wizard champions would be drawn.

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"You know we're going to have a Yule ball this year?" Harry asked around a piece of toast the next morning at breakfast. He had timed it so that Ron was in the middle of stuffing his face. Eggs sprayed across the table into a luckily empty place.

"What!" Ron shouted looking panicked. Neville didn't look much better. His face had drained of all color.

In direct opposition to the males at the table, Ginny, Hermione and even Luna seemed to radiate excitement at the pronouncement.

"A ball?" Ginny asked with hope. She knew Harry wouldn't be taking her but that didn't mean she wouldn't have fun.

"Yea, Dumbledore seems to want to keep it a secret from us. Beaubuxton and Durmstrang have already told both their students." Harry responded.

"How do you know about Durmstrang?" Hermione asked.

"Ran into Krum on the way down this morning, literally. Did you know you could surf down the stair rails all the way from the seventh floor? Anyway, I was sliding down the banister between the second and first floors when I lost control. Managed to break my fall on Krum though." Harry laughed as the others seemed gob smacked. It wasn't every day that someone you knew plowed over a famous quidditch star. "Anyway, we got to talking and I just asked him if they had been told. You can guess the rest."

"You-yo-you spoke to Krum?" Ron asked on an awed voice.

"Yea Ron. It's no big deal. He's just a person. Why should I be nervous to talk to the guy?"

"But it was Krum, Victor Krum."

"By that logic I'm Potter, Harry Potter. You don't have a problem talking to me so why should you him. No difference really.""Good on you Harry." Hermione beamed. "We should really use this opportunity to build friendships with those from other schools. I am very glad to see _someone_ attempting to do such a thing."

"Yea, well I told him we would be more than happy to have him over at our table every now and then. Fleur and Aimee will probably be sitting with us as well a lot."

"You sure seem to get along with that Aimee chick." Seamus cut in from just down the table. "She is a looker. Way to go Harry. I'm thinking of making a move on her veela friend myself soon."

"I do not date leetle boyz." Fleur responded from behind the Irishman in her typically frigid manner.

"Oh well, was worth a try. Can't blame a guy for trying." Seamus smiled at Fleur.

The veela laughed and shot him a smile back.

"This is Seamus, Fleur. He is my dorm mate. They guy beside him is Dean, also my dorm mate. So be nice."

"Oui, Harry. I will try to."

Harry scooted over to make room for Aimee beside him as Fleur rounded the end of the table and prepared to sit at the place across from Ron.

"Hold on a sec." Ginny said as she quickly _scourgified_ the table and chair of the eggs Ron spat earlier.

"So your part veela?" Hermione asked. Harry rolled his eyes. That girl would never stop learning and one day she was going to have to remove her foot from a long way down her throat.

"Oui. My mozare was half veela. My sister and I are quarter veela."

"There were some veela at the world cup. They seemed to have some cool powers. Like nearly making Ron jump from the top box." Harry quipped enjoying the reddening face of his friend.

Instead of blowing his top like he would have Before he merely responded with a sarcastic laugh. He followed it up with a question to Fleur. "How is that though? It felt like I had to do something to impress them.""That is zee veela enchantment. It eez natural and even with practice we can only tone it down to a degree. It doez not seem to effeect your group much though. It eez nice to not have to constantly worry about the charm while around people."

"We've all been studying occlumency to help organize and protect our minds from outside intrusion since the summer. I've already finished up and am helping the others. We figure we will all be done around the end of the school year."

"Occlumency? I ave never heard of such a skill before." Fleur wondered.

"You said it protects your mind? In what way?" Aimee asked the table.

"Well the basic form that we are all still trying to learn builds a basic shield around our minds. Since we are just starting the shield is rather thin." Neville stated.

Hermione pick up. "But with study and practice the shield gets stronger. We are then able to sort our minds. It really helps remembering things better as well as retain information. Only Harry has moved on to the advanced version."

Everyone in the growing group looked to Harry to explain.

"I don't know how I was able to pick it up so fast. It could be that I gain the skill from Voldemort as a baby. Still I think I have made something new. At least in a way." He hadn't gone into depth what the more advanced occlumency was like. He didn't want anyone trying it too early and destroy all the progress they made so far. "After the basics are done you can then turn your shield into anything you want. You can then add more shields. I just call them wards. If you are worried about someone getting past your shields you can turn your mind into a mindscape. A setting, place that can confuse and defend your mind. I personally made a jungle. You can do a lot of things. I would recommend deception when it comes to placing the memories. I will tell you all later after you master the basics. But I also added mind defenders. Since it's your mind it can be anything you can imagine."

"Wow." Aimee said with wide eyes. "Have you ever heard of occlumency before Fleur?"

"Non. Would you be willing to teach us Harry. It might help with zee charm as well.""No problem. We've been working out every morning and practicing. If you want to meet me at the entrance hall around six tomorrow morning we could get started.""Six?" Aimee asked in amazement. "You start working at six in the morning?"

"Yep, an early start to the day."The two Beaubuxton students were a lot more reluctant to learning after hearing that but they would try, at least for a little bit. If they didn't like it they could stop.

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"I still don't know why you won't enter the tournament." Ron groused as he finished off the pudding on his plate. "You were the one to figure out a way around that stupid line and you didn't even take advantage of it. Oliver must have entered half of Gryffindor. All you needed to do was ask him."

"I already told you Ron. I just want a quiet year on the sidelines." Harry had made sure to spend all his time the past few days since the entrance of the Goblet with his ginger headed friend. Hopefully it would keep the boy from thinking Harry had betrayed him by entering. Also giving Ron a way to enter if he wanted to should help.

"I for one am glad to not have to worry about anything other than school for once." Hermione stated. It was the five Gryffindors sitting next to each other. Luna, Fleur and Aimee were again at the Ravenclaw table as mandated for the drawing in a few minutes.

"What do you think the challenges are going to be?" Neville asked.

"In the past they have been based on three things." Ginny supplied. She had done quite a bit of reading on the history of the event. It was because of her that Ron decided not to enter after hearing story after story of people maimed or even killed in a few instances. "Usually the first even is a test of bravery and quick thinking. It has historically been the only event that the contestants were not supposed to know about before hand."

"What do you mean by 'suppose'?" Ron asked.

"Well it also seems to be a tradition for the schools to do their best to cheat for their contestant. There was one recorded event back in the 1600s that a school was disqualified for blatant cheating. Since then it still occurs but behind the scenes."

"So what happens after the first task?" Harry asked. He really wished he had this much brain power working for him the first time around.

"Well, traditionally, the next event has to do with problem solving skills, probably a riddle of some sort. The answer to the riddle must be solved in order to know how to prepare for the next event."

"The final task is usually an over all test of skill, cunning, brains and determination." She finished.

Neville let out a low whistle. "Glad I didn't enter. Just think of what they could make you do. They might make you travel though the forbidden forest or something."

"Good evening to one and all to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Dumbledore beamed at the assembled students below him. "After our most delicious meal, courtesy of our esteemed house elves the Tri-Wizard ceremony must continue. Shortly the Goblet of Fire will choose who among you is to represent your school in a test of skill and daring. The winner shall bring not only themselves glory and riches but to their school and country as well. Now please," Dumbledore waved his hand around the room, dimming the torches and creating a mood of anticipation and drama, "turn you attention to the Goblet of Fire."

With the torches banked the Goblet sent off a blue glow around the hall. The dancing flames flickered and grew. Blue flame turned green then orange then a tower of flame shot from the mouth of the cup. Out of the top of the flame a single, singed, piece of parchment floated down into the waiting hand of Albus Dumbledore.

"The contestant for Durmstrang Institute is Victor Krum!" The mage shouted.

The Durmstrang students cheered as did the other students around the hall. Igor Karkaroff pumped his fist in an exclamation of approval.

Again the Goblet flared and a second piece of parchment floated to the waiting hand.

"The contestant for Hogwarts School is Cedric Diggory!"

The Hufflepuff table exploded in shouts while all but the Slytherins cheered for Cedric.

Again the Goblet worked its magic.

"For Beaubuxton Magical Institute, Ms. Fleur Delacour."

Again the announcement was met with cheers of approval. Harry noticed Aimee hugging her friend and the two talked excitedly for a moment.

"Yes very good." Dumbledore exclaimed happily. "Would those chosen please make their way into the back room." He gestured toward an iron door just past the head table.

As the three filed thought he door Dumbledore started to speak again. He was interrupted however by the Goblet of Fire shooting bolts of fire around the ceiling of the entire hall. Students screamed and the teachers stood abruptly. The elderly headmaster had his wand in hand in a flash ready to defend his students.

Harry watched, a lead weight filling his stomach. He didn't know why he felt so much trepidation. He had been working hard to ensure this happened. He had been a model student. Kept his grades above average but nothing truly outstanding like he was capable of. When in class with Moody, or Crouch Jr. as Harry knew him to be, he was polite and listened intently as he had done in the classes taught by the man Before. They had yet to get to the unforgivable but by the end of November they should have them done.

Once again the Goblet spewed fire from its maw and a singed piece of parchment floated back towards the earth. As if on their own, Harry's eyes focused on the parchment as it drifted down. His enhanced vision, thanks to the potion he made that summer, zoomed in on the lettering. The name 'Harry Potter' was the only thing it said.

"So be it." Harry whispered softly. Still his four friends turned to him in confusion.

A second later the elderly mage's hand snatched the paper from the air and stared at the name in shock and confusion. His head swiveled to the officials at the head table only to meet their confused gazes. It then shot to where Harry sat.

"Harry Potter." He spoke softly before gathering himself. "Harry Potter!"

AN:

I went for the big chapter this time. I know I haven't posted in a while. To tell you the truth I just haven't felt like writing lately and a few good books I have read have taken my mind in a different direction to this fic. I said early that the postings on this would be sporadic so there was fair warning. All of you interested in Identity should know that I am trying to put together the final two chapters to it. I'm going to erase the last chapter all together. I was really not happy with it after I had a chance to go back and read it a week ago. I will try to have it done by Christmas. Thanks for keeping me motivated to write. Each review made me feel a little more guilty that I had left this hanging where I did.


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